LAHORE, Jan 23: Enumeration work or field operation for the eighth Mauza Census in Punjab and Sindh, besides hot weather areas of the NWFP and Balochistan, has been completed.

The third and final phase field operation would start in cold areas of the NWFP and Balochistan, besides the whole Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas, from mid-March and completed by end of April, an Agriculture Census Organisation (ACO) official told Dawn on Wednesday.

The questionnaire for data collection was updated in the light of the recommendations of a 35-member advisory committee, constituted for the first time.

So far, coding of data on 70 districts had been completed while the tabulation plan was also finalised in consultation with a three-member committee comprising LUMS teacher Prof Joseph, Pakistan Agriculture Research Council member Dr Mubarik Ahmad and ACO additional commissioner Rana Akram Khan, the official maintained.

For the first time, the Mauza Census 2008 would contain separate data reports containing vital socio-economic indicators for all the three tiers of governance — district, provincial and federal, he said.

The entire data would be tabulated for each district, province as well as for country level, thus clarifying much needed factual position to planners, policymakers, researchers and academia.

The report will have un-aggregated data in the form of 19 tables each for all the Mauzas, while 29 tables will present the aggregated data for all the patwar, kanungo circles and tehsils in a district. The provincial report will have data on all the districts while the federal or country report will contain information about all the provinces.

The census will provide statistics for the socio-economic indicators available within a Mauza pertaining to its status, total cultivated or un-cultivated acreage, sources of irrigation, water course improvement scheme, sources of drinking water, taste of sub-soil water, pucca streets and drains, electricity, educational institutions and credit facility.

It will also be covering socio-economic indicators like the names and number of settlements of a Mauza, its residential acreage, important crops, markets, sources of employment, types of industry, water treatment, toilet and sewerage facilities, availability of energy, media facilities, housing conditions, playgrounds and sport teams, development organisations and dispute resolution mechanism.

Data about credit facility, general educational institutions, vocational and technical training centres, playgrounds, sport teams and development organisations was being collected by gender for the first time.

In addition, socio-economic facilities available in a Mauza or at some distance from it are also being covered. Facilities like human and veterinary health coverage, cattle, grain, fruit, vegetable markets and wheat procurement centre, agricultural inputs like fertilisers, seeds and pesticides, post office facility, diesel and petrol pump depot or agency, metalled road and railway station, education facility, police station, offices of field assistant, union council, tehsil and commercial banks will also be covered.

The Mauza Census 2008 will also provide statistics about the availability of on-line banking, CNG or LPG availability, mechanised transport facility, telecommunication and internet facilities in the rural areas.