The Planning Commission, at its meeting, with the chief minister in New Delhi last week asserted on the need to give “topmost priority” for creation of “livelihood opportunities” for the people in both rural and urban areas of the state.

Bihar is among the poorest states of the country and the latest data are even more depressing.

The Commission, in a status note on the state, suggested that Bihar lacks institutional framework to implement schemes. It calls for creation of departments and also recruiting personnel at key position for effective implementation of schemes at grass-root level.

It highlighted the loopholes in implementing schemes for women and children. The Planning Commission regretted that the programmes having an allocation of Rs 2,118 crore for their development are “still being looked after by the social welfare department”.

The status note reminded the state government that there are a large number of vacant posts of supervisors under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and asked it to hasten the process of filling up those posts for smooth function and monitoring of the scheme.

It raised serious concern over drop in the under six-child gender ratio in Bihar to 933 girl in 2011 census from 942 girl on every 1,000 boys in 2001. The Planning Commission has asked the state “to analyse the causes for decline and address the problem”.