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GENERAL STATISTICS ACT, 1975(LXIX OF 1975)

CONTENTS

1. Short title an !o""en!e"ent#. $e%inition&'. Stati&ti!al Con!il. Fn!tion& o% the Con!il5. Stati&ti!& Athorit*+. Co"etent Athorit*7. Stati&ti!al A-ent&. For"lation o% /e&tionnaire et!9. 0oer to !all %or retrn an in%or"ation12. Ri-ht o% a!!e&& to re&!ore or o!"ent

11. Se!re!* o% an&er&, in%or"ation an retrn&1#. 0enalt* %or re%&al o% an&er /e&tion&, et!1'. 0enalt* o% o3&tr!tin- &tati&ti!al a-ent, et!1. 0enalt* %or -i4in- or %rni&hin- %al&e an&er& in%or"ation or retrn&15. 0enalt* %or i"roer i&!lo&re o% in%or"ation et!1+. 0ro&e!tion ner other la17. San!tion %or the ro&e!tion1. ri&i!tion19. A!t not to athori6e !olle!tion o% !ertain in%or"ation or &tati&ti!. 0oer to "ae rle. 0oer o% Feeral Stati&ti!& Athorit* to i&&e ire!tion&

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TEXT

GENERAL STATISTICS ACT, 1975(LXIX OF 1975)

[17thNovember, 1975]AnA!t

to constitute certain authorities for the collection and coordination of statistics facilitate economicand other planning.

8EREAS it is expedient to constitute certain authorities for the collection andcoordination of statistics to facilitate economic and other planning and to provide for mattersconnected therewith or incidental thereto:

It is hereby enacted as follows:-

1. Short title an !o""en!e"ent.: 1. This Act may be called the General tatistics Act!

1"#$

%. It extends to the whole of &a'istan

(. It shall come into force on such date as the )ederal Government may! by notificationin the official ga*ette! appoint.

#. $e%inition&.:In this Act! unless there is anything repugnant in the sub+ect or context:-

,a appropriate Government/ means:-

,i in relation to the )ederal tatistics Authority or any matter relating tothe collection and compilation of statistics for the whole of &a'istan! the)ederal Government! and

,ii in relation to the &rovincial tatistics Authority or any matter relating tothe collection and compilation of tatistics for a &rovince or a part thereof the&rovincial Government.

,b competent authority/ means an authority of office appointed under section 0 to bea competent authority.

,c ouncil/ means the 2ational tatistical ouncil or the &rovincial tatistical ouncilconstituted under ection (.

,d establishment/ means a shop! commercial establishment! industrial establishment!firm ! company! private dispensary! maternity home! residential hotel! restaurant!

eating house! caf3! cinema! theater! circus or the place of public amusement orentertainment and such other establishment or class thereof as the )ederalGovernment may! by notification in the official ga*ette! declare to be anestablishment for the purpose of this Act.

,e prescribed/ means prescribed by rules made under this Act.

,f statistical agent/ means any agency! authority or officer! appointed for! or engagedin! the collection of statistics under this Act! and

,g tatistics Authority/ means the )ederal tatistics Authority or a &rovincial tatisticsAuthority appointed under ection $.

'. Stati&ti!al Con!il.: (1 )or the whole of &a'istan the )ederal Government! and for a&rovincial Government and a &rovincial tatistical ouncil consisting of such members includinga chairman! as it may appoint.

,% The hairman and members of the ouncil shall hold office during the pleasure of!and on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the appropriate Government.

,( The ouncil shall regulate its own procedure.

. Fn!tion& o% the Con!il.: The following shall be functions of the ouncil:-

,a to coordinate the functions of the tatistics Authorities competent authorities and toadvise them as to the ways and means of achieving efficient! ade4uate and promptresults.

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,b to approve of the priorities for filling gaps in statistical data and! for that purpose! toallocate functions to the tatistics Authorities.

,c to draw up schemes for avoiding duplication in the formulation and execution ofstatistical programmes and to resolve differences in that respect.

,d to ma'e competent advice and guidance available to tatistics Authorities!competent authorities and statistical agents in the matter of large-scale statisticaloperations and pro+ects.

,e to ensure economic and efficient utili*ation of field services! machine tabulatione4uipment and other scarce resources.

,f to promote research and training in statistics! and

,g to perform such other functions as the appropriate Government may! from time totime! direct.

5. Stati&ti!& Athorit*.: (1 )or the whole of &a'istan the )ederal Government! and for aprovince the &rovincial Government! may! by notification in the official ga*ette! appoint an officer

to be called respectively the )ederal tatistics Authority and the &rovincial tatistics Authority.

,% A tatistics Authority shall! in accordance with such instructions as the ouncil may!from time to time give! perform the following functions! namely:-

,a drawing up specific statistical programmes to carryout the instructions of theouncil.

,b appraising the 4uality of all statistics of national or regional importance.

,c lying down and approving forms and procedure for statistical en4uiries and ensuringagainst any duplication and substandard data collection.

,d standardi*ation of concepts and definitions relating to statistics.

,e giving of! advice and guidance to! and coordinating the functions of the competentauthority and the statistical agents.

,f ma'ing of recommendations to the ouncil relating to the standards of training ofstatisticians and statistical agents.

,g laying down the procedure for a continuing programme of in service institutional andforeign training.

,h periodical review of statistical progress on the basis of reports obtained from thecompetent authorities and the statistical agents.

,i giving of advice to the )ederal Government! the &rovincial Government and otherauthorities or persons on the use and relevance of available statistics in relation tospecific problem of economic policy.

,+ identification of gaps in the 2ational! &rovincial or 5egional statistical series andsubmission for the consideration of the ouncil of proposals relating to the order ofpriority in filling such gaps.

,' appraisal and allocation of technical resources re4uired for statistical pro+ects.

,l compilation and publication of data of general nature for national and internationalreference! and

,m such other functions as the appropriate Government may! from time to time! direct.

+. Co"etent Athorit*.: (1 The appropriate Government may! for the purpose ofcollection and compilation of statistics on any matter! appoint any authority or officer to be acompetent authority for the purposes of this Act.

,% In the exercise of its powers and performance of its functions under this Act! acompetent authority shall be sub+ect to the superintendence! direction and control of the tatistics

Authority appointed by the same appropriate Government by which it has been appointed.

7. Stati&ti!al A-ent&.: The appropriate Government! and! if so empowered by theappropriate Government! a tatistics Authority and a competent authority! may! for the purpose ofcollection of statistics or information under this Act! appoint or engage such officers or persons asit may thin' fit.

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. For"lation o% /e&tionnaire et!.: (1 )or the purpose of collecting statistics on anymatter! a tatistics Authority may! by notification in the official ga*ette! formulate such4uestionnaires as it may thin' fit! and a competent authority or a statistical agent appointed for thecollection of such statistics! may re4uire any person within its +urisdiction to give answers to such4uestionnaire and to elicit full answers to the 4uestionnaire.

,% Any person who is re4uired to give answers to a 4uestionnaire and other relevant4uestions under sub-section ,1 shall give answers to the best of his 'nowledge and belief.

,( 2othing in this section shall authori*e a tatistics Authority! a competent authority ora statistical agent:-

,a to re4uire a woman to state the name of her husband or deceased husband or anyother person whose name she is by custom forbidden to mention! or

,b to insist on information of a purely private nature.

9. 0oer to !all %or retrn an in%or"ation.: 6ithout pre+udice to the provisions of section7! a competent authority may! for the purpose of collecting statistics for which it has been

appointed! serve or cause to be served on any person! by post or otherwise a notice re4uiring himto furnish to such authority or person in such manner! at such time or intervals and in such formand with such particulars! such information or returns as may be prescribed and a person servedwith such notice shall accordingly furnish information or returns re4uired thereby.

12. Ri-ht o% a!!e&& to re!or or o!"ent.: ,1 A tatistical agent shall! for the purpose ofcollection of statistics for which he has been appointed! have access to any relevant record ordocument in the possession of any person re4uired to furnish information or return under ection" and may! at any reasonable time after due notice! enter any premises! house! vessel or otherplace wherein he believes such record or document to be and as' any person any 4uestionnecessary for obtaining any information re4uired to be furnished by such person.

,% 8very person owing or occupying any premises! house! vessel or land shall allow astatistical agent such access thereto as he may reasonably re4uired for the purpose of collectionof statistics for which he has been appointed and shall allow him to paint on! affix to or dig in thepremises! house! vessel or land such letters! mar's or ob+ects as may be necessary for suchpurpose.

11. Se!re!* o% an&er&, in%or"ation an retrn&.: All answers to the 4uestions receivedand all information and returns furnished under this Act shall be confidential 9 shall not be:-

,a used for any purpose other than compilation of statistics under this Act.

,b &ublish in a form which may disclose the state of affairs of any particulars individual!firm or institution.

,c ivulged! except with the return consent of the person answering the 4uestion orfurnishing the information or return! to any person not connected officially with theen4uiry in relation to which the said answers! information or returns have beencalled for.

,d accessible to the inspection of any person otherwise than for the purpose ofprosecution for contravention of the provisions of this Act! or

,e isclosed to any person or used or! notwithstanding anything contained in the8vidence Act! 17#% be admissible in evidence in any proceedings to which theperson giving the answer or furnishing the information or return is a party! except forthe purpose of prosecution for contravention of the provisions of this Act.

1#. 0enalt* %or re%&al o% an&er /e&tion&, et!.: 6hoever! after he has been given duenotice to answer any 4uestionnaire or to furnish any information or returns under this Act! willfullyand without lawful excuse! refuses or fail to answer! to the best of his 'nowledge and belief! such4uestionnaire or other relevant 4uestions as'ed of him by a statistical agent which he is legallybound to answer! or to furnish such information or returns! within the period specified in the noticeor within the period allowed in a further notice which shall be given to him by the authority whichgave him the earlier notice! shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupeesand! in the case of an establishment! with a further fine which may extend to two hundred rupeesfor every day after the first! during which the offence continues.

1'. 0enalt* o% o3&tr!tin- &tati&ti!al a-ent, et!.: 6hoever! refuses a statistical agent any

right of access conferred by ection 1; or willfully obstructs him in the discharge of his dutiesunder this Act or! before the collection of information or statistics for which any letter! mar' or

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ob+ect pained! affixed or dug on! to or in any premises! house! vessel or land! or! without lawfulauthority! removes! obliterates! alters or damages such letter! mar' or ob+ect! shall be punishable.

In the case of an establishment! with imprisonment for a term which may extend to threemonths or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees or with both! and

1. 0enalt* %or -i4in- or %rni&hin- %al&e an&er& in%or"ation or retrn&.: 6hoever!willfully gives a false answer to a 4uestionnaire or other relevant 4uestion or furnishes or causesto be furnished any information or return which he 'nows to be false shall be punishable with finewhich may extend to one thousand rupees in the case of an establishment and five hundredrupees in any other case.

15. 0enalt* %or i"roer i&!lo&re o% in%or"ation et!.: 6hoever! being engaged for or inconnection with the collection of statistics under this Act! willfully discloses otherwise than in thedischarge of his duties for the purposes of prosecution for contravention of any of the provisionsof this Act! any answer to a 4uestionnaire! or any information or the contents of any return! givenor furnished under this Act! shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend tothree months! or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees or with both.

1+. 0ro&e!tion ner other la.: 2othing in this Act shall be deemed to prevent anyperson from being prosecuted under any other law for the time being in force for any act oromission which constitutes an offence under such other law.

17. San!tion %or the ro&e!tion.: 2o prosecution for an offence under this Act! or for anact or omission which constitutes an offence under any other law! shall be instituted except withthe previous sanction of the appropriate Government or of a person authori*ed by it in this behalf.

1. ri&i!tion.: 2o court inferior to that of a