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Patna, (Bihar Times): Something seems to be seriously wrong with the Economic Survey recently presented by the government of Bihar. How can the Growth State Domestic Product for Bihar make a “dramatic growth” of 16.0 per cent in
the one year period of 2006-07 when the foodgrains
output, of this essentially agrarian state, has fallen
by record 26.04 per cent in just one year.
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One wonders how the growth rate of Bihar can be 16 per
cent in one year––that is double than the national
average––and yet remained unreported? How can Bihar
leaves Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka etc so far
behind notwithstanding so poor record in food
production, almost negligible power generation and
industrial growth rate of just 5.4 per cent against
the national rate of 20.1 per cent.
According to the Survey “While rice production has
fallen by 24.4 percent in comparison to the previous
year, production of wheat has fallen by about 19
percent. It is maize which has suffered the most
significant fall, with its production falling by
almost 47 percent over the previous year.” The
sugarcane production has also fallen by over seven per
cent and there is 7.90 per cent fall in acreage.
The CD ratio of Bihar continues to remain at the
bottom. Currently it stands at 31.1 percent, far below
the national average of 75 per cent, and way behind
the CD ratio of states like Maharastra (98 per cent),
Rajasthan (82.5 per cent), West Bengal (62.6 per cent)
or even Madhya Pradesh (62.2 per cent).
The CD ratio across districts show wide variations,
from 18.8 per cent in Siwan to 57.7 per cent in
neighbouring West Champaran. CD ratio of RRBs also
show similar variations across different districts
with an even wider range, the highest being 63.3
percent for Katihar and the lowest being 19.9 percent
for Jehanabad, the Survey said.
The Self Help Groups (SHGs) and the SHG-Bank Linkage
Programme, implemented by commercial banks, RRBs and
cooperative banks, have emerged as the major
micro-finance programme in the country. As on March
31, 2007, a cumulative number of 72,638 SHGs were
credit-linked to banks and the total credit flow to
these SHGs was Rs. 202.98 crore.
However, Bihar has done well so far health sector is
concerned. Though the doctors have repeatedly been
threatening with strike and agitation by para-medics
in December last the number of patients coming to the
government hospitals and clinics has increased
manifold.
The three districts with the highest Per Capita GDDP
are—(Rs 3,1441), Munger (Rs. 10,087) and Begusarai (Rs
9,312). At the other end, three districts with the
lowest Per Capita GDDP are Araria (Rs 4,578),
Sitamarhi (Rs. 4,352) and Sheohar (Rs. 3,636).
However, the average per capita small savings was Rs
264 in 2005-06 and Rs 191 in 2006-07. Taking the
savings figures of 2006-07, it is observed that three
districts with the highest per capita savings are —
Patna (Rs. 675), Saran (Rs. 339) and Nalanda (Rs.
328). The three districts at the bottom are —
Sitamarhi (Rs. 68), East Champaran (Rs. 68) and Araria
(Rs. 51).
With these not so encouraging figures how can the
state government claim that the growth rate has jumped
by whopping 16 per cent?
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