Bihar posted a strong economic recovery by registering a 10.98 per cent growth in the financial year 2021-22 and catapulting the state back to the league of toppers in the country.

The state is now pegged at the third position after Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan in this regard. Incidentally, none of the top three states is ruled by the BJP or its allies.

The 10.98 per cent gross state domestic product (GSDP) growth in 2021-22 is at 2011-12 constant prices. It is a sharp rise in comparison to 2020-21 when the Bihar economy contracted with –3.2 per cent economic growth.

Andhra Pradesh secured the first position in the country with economic growth of 11.4 per cent, while Rajasthan got the second spot with 11.04 per cent growth during the 2021-22 fiscal.

The economic survey pegged annual per capita income in Bihar at Rs 54,383 at current prices and Rs 34,465 at constant prices in 2021-22. Constant prices consider 2011- 12 as the base year.

“We are happy and proud that our state has performed so well on the economic front and is just a few decimal points behind Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan. We have limited natural resources, we are a land-locked state, and 73 per cent of the state’s area is prone to floods,” Bihar finance minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary told reporters after tabling the Economic Survey 2021-22 in the Assembly.

The budget session of the Bihar legislature started on Monday with a joint address by governor Rajendra Arlekar. It will continue till April 5.

Choudhary pointed out that floods destroy infrastructure development in the state and there was no cooperation coming from Nepal from where a majority of rivers flow into north Bihar.

“There is a proposal for the construction of a high dam in Nepal that could be used to control floods in Bihar but is pending for decades. We cannot even talk directly with Nepal about it because it is a matter between two countries. It is an international matter and any talks can happen only through the government of India,” Choudhary added.

The finance minister said that the robust economic growth of Bihar was because of its development schemes and better fiscal management.

“The situation is such that even the money allotted by the Centre for centrally-sponsored schemes is being reduced. Even the money that has been allotted is not provided on time and at times the state has to muster its own resources to run various schemes like Samagra Shiksha Yojana, scholarship schemes and others. There is a reduction of over 10 per cent in the provisions of development schemes that have a central share component,” Choudhary said.

The economic survey showed that Bihar has 3,167km of roads per 1,000sq km of area and is ranked third in the country. Kerala has over 6,000km of roads and is in the first position, while Bengal bagged the second place with 3,198km of roads per 1,000sq km.