The total amount of money allocated by the federal government for the digital census in the nation now stands at about Rs. 20 billion.
When speaking with a local business website, Member Support Services/Resource Management, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), Muhammad Sarwar Gondal, confirmed this.
Gondal added that the estimated cost of the census is Rs. 34 billion, of which Rs. 10 billion had already been released.
Digital Census Budget and its Details
The PBS official provided additional information, stating that the government gave the Punjab province Rs. 4.14 billion, of which Rs. 2257.823 million was used for training and compensation and Rs. 1882.475 million was used to hire vehicles.
The Sindh province received an additional Rs 2.005 billion, of which Rs. 1076.100 million went toward training and compensation and Rs. 928.900 million went toward the rental of vehicles.
Gondal reported that the Balochistan province received a release of Rs. 783 million, of which Rs. 352.605 million was allocated for training and compensation costs and Rs. 430.500 million was allocated for the rental of vehicles.
He added that the government had given Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Rs 1.36 billion, of which Rs. 716.636 million was allocated for training and salary costs and Rs. 642.460 million was used to hire vehicles.
Additionally, the government paid out Rs. 250.424 million, of which Rs. 101.324 million went toward training and compensation and Rs. 149.100 million went toward leasing vehicles.
Gondal reported that the government paid Gilgit Baltistan Rs. 84.929 million, of which Rs. 33.689 million was used for training and compensation and Rs. 51.240 for the rental of vehicles.
The government also provided Islamabad with 72.915 million rupees, of which 32.095 million were used to hire vehicles and 40.820 million were used for training and compensation.
Along with police, approximately 86,000 army officers and personnel are guarding the field enumerators.
According to Gondal, the field operation would be finished in a month, and the results would be made public on April 30, 2023, following the conclusion of data analysis.
To read our blog on “Government hopes to finish the digital census before the 2023 elections,” click here.