INA HUGE turnaround, ‘bimaru’ state Bihar has emerged as the fastest growing state in the country with 10.9 per cent growth rate, overtaking Gujarat whose growth has dipped.
Bihar was the slowest growing state during the 2001-05 period, with GDP figure of 2.9 per cent. However, between 2006 and 2010, it grew at 10.9 per cent, becoming the fastest growing state and shedding the tag of BIMARU (an acronym for sick states).
On the other hand, Gujarat was the fastest growing state between 2001 and 2005 at 11 per cent. But during 2006 and 2010, its growth dipped to 9.3 per cent.
Gujarat has been overtaken by Bihar and four other states — Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Maharashtra and Orissa.
Interestingly, Gujarat was the only state among 17 fastest ones to register a decline in growth.
Chhattisgarh grew from 7.7 per cent in 2001-05 to 10 per cent growth, Haryana grew from 8.4 per cent to 9.7 per cent, Maharashtra from 8.2 per cent to 9.6 per cent and Orissa from 7.8 per cent to 9.4 per cent.
The average GDP growth of the top five states was 9.10 per cent in the 11th five year plan.
The period between 2004-05 and 2011-12 also saw an average increase of 300 per cent in consumption in rural areas, bridging the big divide witnessed in the earlier five-year period
