Bihar has new image with high growth rate: Nitish-

Bihar has new image with high growth rate: Nitish

Friday, July 09, 2010 4:20:49 PM by IANS

Patna, July 9 (IANS) Bihar is no more in the news for caste massacres and crimes but has cultivated a new image with its high growth rate, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Friday.
“Bihar’s new image is making news. Instead of caste massacres, the high growth rate of Bihar is debated outside the state,” he said while releasing the final report card on his government’s performance ahead of assembly polls in October-November.

The report card said efforts of the state government have ushered in accelerated economic development and improvement in social as well as physical infrastructure.

“In the last four and half years, economic growth rate has accelerated. The annual average development rate of the state in 2008-09 at current prices was 24.33 percent and on constant prices was 16.59 percent,” Nitish Kumar said in the report card.

He said that during the same period the national development rate on current prices was 14.17 percent and on constant prices was 6.70 percent.

Nitish Kumar said the state government has established peace, social harmony and rule of law, ushering in social transformation.

He said Bihar was poised to be a developed state in India by 2015, going by the speed of development in basic infrastructure, education, health and production of food grains.

The 112-page report card in Hindi, English and Urdu mainly highlighted communal harmony and schemes for the development and welfare of minorities, backward classes and women.

The Nitish Kumar-led National Democratic alliance (NDA) government, comprising his Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), completed four and half years June 24.