ABBOTTABAD, Nov 6: Birth registration is considered to be the basic tool for planning in the developed countries but no attention is being given to it in the country, speakers said at a workshop organized by Plan Pakistan with the cooperation of NWFP government here.

A pilot project has been started by the provincial government in four districts and a series of workshops has been arranged in the city to create awareness among the NGOs, government departments and citizens about the issue.

The speakers stressed the need for getting the data compiled which could help the planners draw the line of action on basic problems. They said that in the absence of statistics the country was unable to plan according to requirements of the citizens.

They said that under the new local government ordinance, birth registration was mandatory and violators could be penalised with six months imprisonment and fined Rs5,000.

Registration should be done within 60 days of birth, while in case of death, the card must be returned within 90 days.