PESHAWAR, May 27: With the functional integration of the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) and union councils, birth registrations will boost up to over 90 per cent in the first phase in the Frontier and later throughout the country.

NWFP Nadra Director-General Brig (retd) Muhammad Anwar Khan made this observation, while speaking to the participants of the first meeting of the provincial steering committee here at the local government and the rural development department (LG&RDD), Civil Secretariat, Peshawar.

LG&RDD Special Secretary Tariq Hayat Khan, who presided over the meeting, said increasing the ratio of birth registrations initially from 20 per cent to 45 per cent in the pilot project districts was a tremendous achievement.

He expressed the hope that after the introduction of the local bodies’ system, birth registrations would be given a serious consideration. He added that all development funds would be allocated on the population basis and the need for an up-to-date database would boost birth registrations.

Replaying to a question, he said there existed no dichotomy of functions in the birth registration domain, as Nadra and union councils were working in unision.

Mr Khan told the meeting that birth registration had been a low priority in the country, but after the launching of the pilot project in the four districts — Abbottabad, Mardan, Nowshera and Swabi — the target of birth registrations had been set at 80 per cent. The government, he added, was trying to include D. I. Khan, Kohat and Swat in the project.

The meeting was attended by the officials of the departments of health, education, social welfare, local government and rural development and population planning and Nadra and the representatives of Abbottabad, Mardan, Nowshera and Swabi district governments.