HYDERABAD:Chief Minister Sindh Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that the results of the digital census will not be acceptable to Sindh unless the correct numbers of its population were reported.
Talking to the media after offering condolences to Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP’s) local leader Irfan Gul Magsi here on Friday, Shah said that the inexplicable disparities have surfaced in the average size of a family in the ongoing Digital Population Census 2023.
Shah said the average size of a family in other provinces had been calculated at 6.2 to 6.3. Whereas the same measurement in Sindh had been incomprehensibly recorded at 5.4, he added.
According to the CM, the difference in the average was difficult to figure out.
Shah said Sindh’s population could not be less than 75 million at present.
The CM added that his provincial government had already raised certain objections against the digital census.
He disclosed that the provincial government had so far written 11 letters to the center in that regard.
Responding to a question, the CM said the disbursement of funds for repair and reconstruction of flood-damaged or destroyed houses in Sindh would start soon. According to him, Rs300,000 in total would be released with the first instalment of Rs75,000 expected soon after verification of the flood-hit homes.
Shah said the law and order situation in the province was showing improvement as there had been a drop in the crime rates. However, he added that the police had to deal with the dacoits of the riverine forests both in Sindh and Punjab.
Talking about the river flooding in Sindh, the CM said many cities had encroached on the land which was flooded by the river water over a period of several centuries. According to him, the government wanted to ensure abundant passage for the flood water was left so that the towns and villages located close to the banks of the river could be prevented from inundation.
The CM later visited the residence of former federal minister Moula Bux Chandio to offer condolences.