BAHAWALNAGAR: The digital census proc­ess, which started on Mar­ch 1 across Punjab, is facing a slowdown across the district as the administration has not only fai­led to pay the amount earmar­k­­ed for transport fun­ds but supervisors are also being forced to get much less than the actual amount.

Rather, a majority of them is being threatened with departmental action by the AC and DC office staff if they talk about the issue, Dawn has learnt.

Revenue sources told Dawn that a huge amount of transport funds worth millions which had been released to ensure transportation of 2,380 enumerators (field staff) to every corner of the district was allegedly being embezzled by the contractors with the connivance of ACs and DC office staff.

They said the supervisors were persuaded by the AC office staff to arrange transport at their own expense assuring them that they would be paid Rs6,000 per supervisor as per notification. How­ever, later Rs1,500 were paid to every supervisor by the officials thro­ugh JazzCash and when they protested over the matter, the officials threatened them with departmental punishment.

Around 25 supervisors of Minchinabad circle, including supervisor Muhammad Azam, told this correspondent that they were continuously being threatened to remain silent over the matter by some officials, including Ismail Shah and Waheed. Some supervisors complained that they were receiving threatening calls from some private and official numbers.

Supervisors being forced to accept Rs1,000 to 1,500 per day instead of Rs6,000

They said supervisors belonging to Circle Minchinabad were being pressurised by an official of the Minchinabad AC office who had faced jail term on corruption charges. An employee of the education department, Ismael Shah, who was also a supervisor in the current digital census process and [contractor] Hameedullah, also contacted the supervisors by using the PTCL number of the DC office and forced them to accept Rs1,500 daily instead of Rs6,000, more than 25 supervisors alleged in their written statement filed with Minchinabad AC office on Saturday.

The complaint further alleged that supervisors were forced to take less money by the officials while saying that the remaining amount was to be given to ACs and the DC.

Mr Azam said despite the fact that they were raising the issue of embezzlement in transport funds in the official WhatsApp group of the AC Office, Minchinabad AC Javed Ahmed Cheema, who was the admin of the group, seemed reluctant to take notice of the matter. When contacted, Mr Cheema didn’t respond to call and text message.

The situation in the remaining four tehsils was almost similar and the process of the census was slow due to lack of funding, he said.

Requesting anonymity several other supervisors belonging to Bahawal­na­gar, Haroon­abad, Fort Abbas and Chishtian circles said they were pressurised to accept Rs1,000 to Rs1,500 per day instead of Rs6,000.

Moreover, a report issued by the district police over the security arrangements for the enumerators (a copy of which is available with Dawn) said that one Eagle Squad official would be deployed with four enumerators.

The report said the police officials would not only be in contact with the enumerators but would also immediately report to them in case of any untoward situation. However, according to the supervisors and enumerators deployed across the district, they are yet to receive police security.

Asif Iqbal, a supervisor of Bahawalnagar Circle, said their transport funds had not only been released but they were given a message by the police that the enumerators would be given security only if the supervisor would arrange for their accommodation and food.

The Bahawalnagar DC told Dawn that it was the contractor’s job to provide vehicles to the enumerators and the contractor was also bound to arrange vehicles in which the police personnel including the enumerators could travel easily. He said some supervisors, who have their own vehicles, want to scandalise the matter and include their vehicles in the contract, but any such activity would not be supported.

Refuting the statement of the supervisor, Bahawalpur DPO Syed Ali Raza said despite the shortage of police personnel, proper security arrangements had been made for the enumerators across the district as per the orders of IG Punjab.

Published in Dawn, March 5th, 2023