According to the 66th round of the household consumption expenditure survey released by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) on Friday, the urban monthly per capita expenditure of Bihar is also lowest, just Rs 1,238. The figures show that notwithstanding tall claims made by the state government on an average every rural Bihari spends just Rs 26 per day while the figure for urban sector is about Rs 41.

The survey was conducted between July 2009 and June 2010, focused on monthly per capita expenditure of people in the country. It ranked Bihar at the bottom. A similar survey conducted during July 2007 to June 2008 had put the state in the same position, indicating that the condition of people remained unchanged.

Food accounts for 57 per cent of the total expenditure in rural area at the all India level, compared to 44.4 percent in urban areas.Kerala, Punjab and Haryana top the list of states with highest average MPCE of Rs 1,835, Rs 1,649 and Rs 1,510 respectively in rural areas. Among urban areas, Maharashtra with Rs 2,437 is on top to be followed by Kerala Rs 2,413 and Haryana Rs 2,321.

The survey says that the difference in per capita expenditure between urban and rural consumers is now wider than in 2004-05. This explodes the myth woven by advertisement agencies and media that there is a rural consumption boom following the social sector programmes of the Union government. The truth is that income inequality between the rural and urban consumers widened to 91 per cent between 2004-05 and 2009-10.

In the 61st round of the survey done in 2004-05 the urban-rural gap was of 80 per cent.
Experts are deeply concerned over this rise in divide and said that the trickle down theory is not working in this case.

The average urban MPCE was 28 per cent higher than rural MPCE in Punjab, 31 per cent higher in Kerala, and 41 per cent higher in Rajasthan.

The lastest survey shows the share of the food in total consumption expenditure is coming down in both rural and urban India. As mentioned above the share of food in consumer expenditure was 57% in rural India and 44.4% in urban India.

The survey said that in rural India people are spending less on cereals, edible oil and fruits. They are spending more on pulses, milk, non-vegetarian items and beverages. In urban India, consumption of nearly all food items is either going down or is constant compared with the earlier survey.
In contrast consumption in non-food items, which include consumer durables, education and recreation, among others, has shown an upward sign both in rural and urban areas.

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I thank for the feedback given by KK singh jee and Abhay sir- frankly speaking I have no faith in such statistical reports it can’t project the authenticity that we know.
I am quite positive that you both are very much familiar to the mindset of the people residing in rural and semi urban areas, sir I am from yogapatti located around 17 km from district head quarter of bettiah and the far west region of that area was so called mini chambal of the west champaran and I am frequent visitor to my Native as my parents are residing in a village where all kind of infrastructure is there but without the elements within, though its is heaven for them and of course for me :-) I pity on the people who are never benefited from the Local Primary & middle school where teachers and students are in full capacity but no complete focus on teaching because seasoned teachers are very much busy with all others works assigned to him than teaching for an hour , one small medical clinic –but always the duty man is missing because he/she has a favor of Local Mukhiyajee- surely some term benefits to mukhiya jee from him/her, one Post office-where credibility is down because people have no faith in the duty man- could be an issues with exchange of letters, electricity pole and wires are standing barren and intact Properly but no Power because operator need some extra money to direct the electricity from Plant -of course he would be the master and sole owner of that project because no monitoring from authority—when we can’t benefit from the existing facilities itself then don’t think new set up or new government could help on such issues – the most and utmost reality is – people have no willingness to work and delegate their responsibilities --- its not a fault of Nitish government-as they have a lot to work for –because Bihar had zero control in terms of development and cirime during the regime of Lalu Prasad and family - now we can see a big impact in a big way so we have to be patient enough to be witnessed for the big change but not sure about the time limit it can take the ages---
However question remains the same who has to change? Its state government or central government of courses not them!! Its we!! We have to change and change for the small first – I can see lots of funds are allotted to Panchayat and blocks – but administrative and executive people exhaust every thing by themselves or give their favor to non beneficiaries ones, And they are not foreigner and they are from our society only and doing blunder because they don’t think about the grim consequences on the society in turn.
The problem is so complex that sometimes I am lost with the fact that – our motherland will never become like Punjab, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka- but always game for change as I want my people to change for small thing first and big things will come on their way for sure …
Praveen kumar Srivastwa
Genpact Bangalore

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The National sample survey organisation has punctured the claims of Bihar government , led by Nitish Kumar about its so called GDP growth and overall development of the state. Bihar continues to be far behind in comparison to Chhatishgrah and most backward state like Orissa in per capita household expenditure. Sadly in Bihar rural expenditure per house hold Rs 26 per day and urban rs 41-thus it comes to Rs780 per capita household expenditure in Bihar whereas such expenditure is Rs 784 in Chhatishgarh and Orrissa Rs 816. National average of such expenditure is Rs 1054 rural and Rs 1984 for urban.In this way per capita house hold expenditure is Rs 26 per day in rural Bihar and Rs 41 per days in urban Bihar. Nitish govt, which is making tall claims of Bihar's development, must think plight of its own people living per day by expenditure, which may described a worse lives for people of Bihar. Shame to Nitish government for sorry plight of people of Bihar and Nitish government must come out with white paper on its so called development in the last six years. Nitish must reply plight of people is sliding downward trends in house hold expenditure and leading pitiable life as per survey of national sample survey organisation.

K K SIngh, journalist, retired as chief reporter, Times of India

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this is the condition that compelled to leave bihar and india in 1971 for the greener pasture of europe. in the last 40 yrs i have not seen much improvement. in many ares it has gotten worse. the examples are:electricity and garbage disposal. as a child growing up in bhagalpur i enjoyed electricity everyday and every night. today it is a rare scenario. i have come to realize that the politicians of bihar have been the puppets of central government and always want to be in the central government rather than thinking about the welfare of the very people who elected them. mamata bannergie or narendra modi or leader of any other state of india think about the well being of the people in their state.
we need a political party that is bihar centric. a political party which remind us that we are descendants of the great mauryans and guptas. mauryan blood is flowing in our veins and it is our duty to rule this world like our forefathers.

abhay bhagat,
portland,oregon,usa