REPORT OF VISIT TO BIHAR TO REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION

OF IMPORTANT
SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES
Executive Summary
Bihar accounts for 3% of the total area of the country and 8% of the
population. The adverse land-man ratio is refected in the high density of
population, which is 880 per s. !m. The decadal growth of population for
"##"-$00" is $8.%3% which is the highest in the country. &ccording to $00"
census, the literacy rate in the state is %'.(3% and is the lowest in the
country. The economy of the state is characteri)ed *y high incidence of
poverty, low literacy rate, unemployment and low per capita income. The
human development indicators are also very poor.
Review of Performance of Flagship Schemes/Critical Sectors
The average persondays of employment under +,-.& in $008-0# was $/
only compared to the +ational &verage of %8 days. This could *e
improved *y generating awareness a*out the scheme so that demand for
employment increases.
The state receives a*out $/% of the total national allocation 0,s. $,$%0
crore out of ,s.8,%#( crore in the current year1 under the 2ndira &waas
3o4ana. There is demand for this programme, and the state has to mount
all e5orts to ensure its proper implementation.
The 6ower 7ector is an area of concern. The 7tate has almost no
generation capacity at present. The state government has *een
reuesting that the coal lin!ages for the "$
th
6lan *e decided at an early
date so that generation in the private sector could *e possi*le. The
strengthening of the su*-transmission system is *eing ta!en up under the
7pecial 6lan. 8ne critical issue here is the management capa*ility of
B7-B to ta!e over the created assets and manage them e9ciently.
.iven the importance of &griculture in the economy of the state, the
irrigation sector reuires special attention. The allocation under &2B6 for
the current year is ,s. /00 against which an amount of ,s. "8./3 crore
has *een released so far. &gainst the overall target of "/##.'#0 thousand
hectares under Bharat +irman, the physical progress upto :uly $00# has
*een only ($/.'(" hectares. The state must ensure completion of
ongoing pro4ects so that new pro4ects can *e ta!en up. The state has a
vast potential for ground water of which only %0% has *een tapped,
compared to the all 2ndia average of /0%. There is also a gap of %"%
*etween potential created and potential utili)ed which needs to *e
*ridged urgently to ma;imi)e the *ene<ts to agriculture.
The state can capitali)e on its demographic dividend only *y upgradation
of s!ill sets. 2t has not yet set up the 7tate 7!ill =evelopment >ission. The
num*er of 2T2s is very small compared to the population si)e and there are
$000 persons in the age group "(-30 years for every 2T2 seat. 2T2s and
1
other 2nstitutes may *e set up in partnership with industrial
houses?software companies.
@nder the +ational =rin!ing Aater >ission, the state has a huge opening
*alance of ,s. %"% crore. The e;penditure in $008-0# was only ,s. "/(
crore against the allocation of ,s. %$( crore.
The state has made considera*le progress under 7arva 7hi!sha &*hiyan
and #8% ha*itations have primary schools within a radius of one !m.
Bowever, the drop-out rate at the primary level is ("% compared to the
national average of $(%. This programme should *e accorded the highest
priority of the state.
The progress of :++@,> has *een very slow as the pro4ects too! a long
time to *e prepared and approved. This programme reuires greater
attention.
BiharCs 6lan performance has improved in the past % years and the 6lan
e;penditure has increased from ,s. %%/( crore in $00(-0/ to ,s. "$,(""
crore in $008-0#.
Issues raised by the State Government
Dosi Eloods ,econstruction and ,eha*ilitation 6ac!ageF BiharCs claim for a
6ac!age of ,s. "%,800 crore should *e considered.
BandloomsF +ot even a single >ega cluster has *een given to Bihar even
though Bihar has a large num*er of minority handloom weavers in and
around Bhagalpur.
&gricultureF Bihar has launched an &griculture ,oad >ap. The Gredit
=eposit ratio is very poor and hence only $% of the credit programme will
reach Bihar. Bence the credit needs need to *e ta!en care of.
Eood 7ecurityF 6oor households in Bihar num*er ".(0 crore which is more
than dou*le the .82 estimate of /( la!h households. @nless the manner
in which poverty is measured is sorted out, the food security scheme will
leave half of the poor population uncovered.
E,B> &ctF The states should *e permitted fe;i*ility of ".(% over the
prescri*ed target of %% for <scal de<cit.
=evolution of Gentral ta;esF &s a result of ta; reliefs in the *udget, Bihar
faces a possi*le reduction of ,s. %/"/ crore as its share of Gentral ta;es.
Goal *loc!s must *e allocated for the Twelfth 6lan as investors in the
power sector would not come forward without this vital lin!age.
Conclusion
Bihar deserves to *e treated on a special footing, in view of its resource
*ase, very low level of human development, and the severe deprivation of
ma4ority of its population. &gainst this conte;t, most of the issues raised
*y the state government reuire special consideration.
2
2f 7arva 7i!sha &*hiyan077&1 is one of the *etter implemented fagship
programmes in the stateH implementation of :++@,> appears to *e on
the other end of the spectrum. There is a need for a special Tas! Eorce for
monitoring the implementation of fagship and other important
programmes.
REPORT OF VISIT TO BIHAR TO REVIEW IMPLEMENTATION
OF IMPORTANT
SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES
! INTROD"CTION
2n pursuance of 6lanning Gommission @.8. >-"30"#?3?$00#-76.Goord.
dated $3.#.$00#, my report on Bihar has *een prepared after e;tensive
review of literature?material availa*le, followed *y discussion with Ghief
7ecretary, =evelopment Gommissioner and other !ey 7ecretaries and Beads
of the =epartment of the .overnment of Bihar and two *rief visits *y 7mt.
2ndu 6atnai!, =eputy &dviser , 7tate 6lans 0Bihar1 and myself. The report has
*een divided into the following segmentsF-
0i1 2ntroduction and *asic pro<le of the state,
0ii1 2mplementation of fagship programmes of .overnment of 2ndia,
0iii1 2mplementation of other important Gentrally 7ponsored 7chemes in
the state,
0iv1 ,eview of issues raised *y the 6lanning Gommission during &nnual
6lan discussion 0 $00#-"01 with the state,
0v1 &ny uniue pro*lems?issues not covered under the items a*ove, and
0vi1 Gonclusion
! Ba#ic Pr$%&e
The state of Bihar with an area of #%,"/3 s. !m. accounts for a*out 3%
of the total geographical area of the country. 2t has a population of 8$.88
million which accounts for 8% of the population of the country. The adverse
land-man ratio is refected in the high density of population, which is 880 per
s. !m. The decadal growth of population for "##"-$00" is $8.%3% which is
the highest in the country. &ccording to $00" census, the literacy rate in the
state is %'.(3% and is the lowest in the country. The 7cheduled Gaste
population comprises "(.%'% whereas tri*al population constitutes a mere
0.#"% of the total population. The economy of the state is characteri)ed *y
high incidence of poverty, low literacy rate, unemployment and low per capita
income. The human development indicators are also very poor. 7ome of the
important developmental indicators of Bihar are given *elowF
3
The Buman =evelopment 2nde; for Bihar is the lowest at 0.3/' in $00",
which however, is an improvement over the earlier years 0"#8"F 0.$3',
"##"F 0.3081.
The stateCs per capita income in $008-0# is ,s. "$,/%3 at current prices
against the national average of ,s. 3',%#0.
The average annual growth rate of .ross 7tate =omestic 6roduct
*etween $00(-0/ to $008-0# has *een "3./8% compared to the national
average of 8.%8%.
6ercentage of population *elow poverty line in $00%-0( is %".% against
the national average of $'.(.
The literacy rate of the state is %'.(3% in $00" compared to the &ll 2ndia
average of /(.38% while the female literacy rate is 33.('% 0&ll 2ndia
(%.$8%1.
The *irth rate per thousand in the state is $#.% 0$00'1 compared to $3."
for the country as a whole.
The death rate per thousand in the 7tate is '.( 0$00'1 compared to '.%
for the country as a whole.
The estimated 2nfant >ortality ,ate is (8 per thousand in $00'
compared to the national average of ((.
The population density in the state as per $00" census is 880 per s.
!m. against the national <gure of 3$%.
89.60% of the population lives in rural areas.

!' M$(it$ra)&e Tar*et# $+ E&eve(t, Five -ear P&a(
&n overall comparative picture of the monitora*le targets <;ed at the
national level and corresponding targets for Bihar for the -leventh 6lan
are given *elow F
M$(it$ra)&e Item "(it Tar*et +$r
t,
P&a(
F$r
I(.ia
F$r Bi,ar
2nfant >ortality ,ate 6er "000 live *irths $8 2
Total Eertility ,ate +o. of children per
couple
$." !"#
>alnutrition of Ghildren
00-3 years1
6ercentage of wt. for
age *elow $ 7tandard
=eviation
$3.( 2$"2
&naemia among women
0"(-(# years1
2n percent $8.3 !%"$
7e; ,atio 00-/ years1 +o. of females per
"000 males
#'' &#
=rop-out ,ate in
-lementary -ducation
2n percent $0 2$"'&
Iiteracy ,ate 2n percent 8(.00 ()"#)
4
Gender gap in *iteracy In percentage points %#"## %$")#
E&eve(t, P&a( a(. A((ua& P&a( '//01/23 '//21/4 a(. '//41/5
Out&ay#
6lanning Gommission has indicated a tentative estimate of ,s.
/0,/3".00 crore for the -leventh Eive 3ear 6lan. &n outlay of ,s."0,$00.00
crore was approved for &nnual 6lan $00'-08 against which the 7tate
.overnment has reported an e;penditure of ,s.#,/($.30 crore which is
#%./3% of the approved outlay. Eor &nnual 6lan $008-0#, an outlay of
,s."3,(00.00 crore was approved and the 7tate .overnment has reported an
e;penditure of ,s. "$,("0.'8 crore. The approved outlay for $00#-"0 is
,s."/,000 crore.
'! IMPLEMENTATION OF FLAGSHIP PROGRAMMES OF GOVERNMENT OF
NDIA
'!! Nati$(a& Rura& Em6&$yme(t Guara(tee Act 7NREGA8
=uring $00#-"0, $%.83 la!h households have *een provided employment,
with a total of /%'.'" la!h persondays and $/ average persondays per
household. Eunds to the tune of ,s. (0,333./# la!h have *een released *y the
centre, and ,s.338/.'" la!h *y the state till date in the current year. & total
e;penditure of ,s. #3,$(3.%/ la!h has *een incurred till date07ourceF >8,=
Ae*site1.
Field +isit
,ud road and construction of culvert from -./!# to railway line in village
,au0ipur1 Fatua2
The wor! involved a cost of ,s. 3.#0 la!h and 3%00 mandays. Aage rate is
reported to *e a*out ,s. 8#?- per day. The uality of mud road was not up to
the mar! and is li!ely to *e washed away in heavy rain. 8nly the culvert,
made *y a la*our contractor, seems to *e of some uality. Two families with
a*out '-8 children were found to *e wor!ing near the site on *ric!-ma!ing.
They came from a distant village where the children were reportedly going to
anganwadi centre?school. The B=8?68 was directed to ensure that the parents
sent their children to the anganwadi centre?school, near the site till they are
engaged in *ric! ma!ing wor! there.
'!' I(.ira A9a# -$:a(a 7IA-8
&gainst a central allocation of ,s. $,$%,03#.3# la!h, an amount of ,s.
##,(3(.(3 la!h has *een released upto 3"
st
&ugust, $00#. 7tateCs contri*ution
is of the order of ,s. 33,"'8.(" la!h. =uring $00#-"0 , ,s. ",33,8%%.#( la!h
have reportedly *een utili)ed.
5
&gainst a target of "0,#8,00" houses, 3,08,0'$ houses were constructed
during $00#-"0. Thus the achievement is $8.0/ %.The 7tate gets a*out $/%
of the countryCs 2&3 funds. Eund utilisation is (#.%/% while in physical terms
the achievement is 3%.'(%. &s per an interim report of the study *eing
conducted *y GB,2, the uality of construction is a matter of concern.
Field +isit
+illage 3aduli1 Fatua1 Patna2
7mt. 7ushma =evi said she had received ,s.$0,000 *y cheue . &s per
practice, construction wor! is completed in two months *y a local mason.
+ormally, the amount is released in two instalments . The <rst instalment is of
,s.$%,000 and the second ,s."",000. The :unior -ngineer was directed to
supervise the wor!. 7hri =agrul Ghaudhry complained that *ri*e of ,s.(,000
was demanded and since he refused to pay, he did not get funding under 2&3.
7mt. Ba*y Dhatoon complained that ,s. (,000 is ta!en as *ri*e *y the
Ghairperson 0>u!hia1, =y. Ghairperson and 7ecretary of the 6anchayat while
releasing funds. 7he demanded a hand pump and a latrine. 8verall, the
uality of construction was not up to the mar!. But there was general
awareness of the scheme and widespread complaint a*out corruption. 8ne
factor that is a5ecting wor! is the inadeuacy of technical sta5 at the *loc!
level to supervise wor! together with a lac! of cluster approach.
'!;! Nati$(a& S$cia& A##i#ta(ce Pr$*ramme7 NSAP8
=uring $00#-"0, against an allocation of ,s./",/80.00 la!h, ,s. ($,83/.00 la!h
have *een released till (."".$00# and ,s. $(,%##.%0 la!h have *een utili)ed.
The utili)ation has *een very poor.
'!<! Nati$(a& Rura& Hea&t, Mi##i$( 7NRHM8
The status of implementation of +,B> upto 3"
st
&ugust , $00# is
reported as underF
6rogress

/#,$%/ &ccredited 7ocial Bealth &ctivists 0&7B&s1 have *een selected out
of which (',3/$ &7B&s have *een trained with <rst module of training.
Bowever, no &7B&s are in position with drug !its.
8ut of total 8,8(8 7u*-centres, (,880 are functional with two &+>s. 2n total,
(,8#/ &+>s have *een appointed on contract at various levels.
8ut of the total of "/%" 6BGs, (33 are wor!ing $%; ' as on date, 3 sta5
nurses have *een positioned in "0( 6BGs.
6
>o*ile >edical units are operating in "$ districts.
Jillage Bealth and 7anitation Gommittees have not *een constituted.
8nly "0% specialists are in position at Gommunity Bealth Gentres against a
reuirement of $80. 38" specialists have *een appointed on contract.
=uring $008-0#, "".00 la!h *ene<ciaries under :anani 7ura!sha 3o4ana for
institutional deliveries were reported *y the state as against "."% la!h
*ene<ciaries during $00/-0'.
2n the current year, 3 la!h *ene<ciaries were reported till 3"
st
&ugust,
$00#.
&n amount of ,s.",'0'./3 crore 0a*out /'%1 was utili)ed against an
amount of ,s.$(%%.#% crore released upto 3"
st
&ugust,$00# under +,B>.
Issues raised by the State
K The 7pecial Gomponent head under +,B> could *e allowed to *e utili)ed
for other essential purposes also such as enhancing the salary of
.overnment doctors and other para medical sta5H hospital maintenance
and provision of facilities such as canteen etc so that 6BGs can function
$%;' more e5ectively.
K ,eappropriation of funds in the 6rogramme 2mplementation 6lan06261 may
*e allowed as in the current year additional funds are reuired for items
such as am*ulance services, *io-metric system for attendance, etc.
K The num*er of &u;iliary +urse >id-wife0&+>s1 needs to *e increased.
K The infrastructure fund may *e separated from 6art0B1 in +,B>
additionalities as districts are una*le to spend funds under infrastructure.
K The provision under ,ogi Dalyan 7amitis needs to *e enhanced in view of
the increase in patient load and the need to upgrade facilities.
Field +isit
Primary .ealth Centre1 Saraigan01 Samastipur2
The 6BG was relatively neat and clean. Bowever, there is a water channel
around the *uilding with no provision for discharge of water as no
arrangements have *een made for a soa! pit. There were *asins *ut no soap
in either the 86= or the 8peration Theatre. The pipes from the *asins did not
reach the outlet *elow. 2nterview of one of the patients showed that the
patients were aware of the :anani 7ura!sha 3o4ana. >ost of the essential
drugs were availa*le. There was, however, a shortage of few medicines as
only one supplier has *een identi<ed for each essential drug.
4dditional P.C1 Sabalpur1 PatnaF
7
The condition of the additional 6BG was dismal. >edicines were not availa*le
and no doctor was availa*le at the time of visit in the morning. There is a
*uilding with hardly any other infrastructure?medicine. There was one patient
waiting for the doctor and one ward attendant present. 2t was reported that
due to LGhhatC festivities, no medical sta5 could come.
'!=! Sarva S,i>#,a A),iya( 7SSA8
&s per latest >B,= reports 06&B-$00#-"01, #8% ha*itations in Bihar are
served with primary schools within " !m radius. 8f the 8(,$$# ha*itations
eligi*le for primary school, ",%(' ha*itations are without primary schools. The
state is yet to operationali)e 3(8 67 and ",3"8 @67 sanctioned upto $008-0#.
Bhagalpur, -ast Ghamparan, Daimur, >unger and >u)a5arpur together have
yet to operationali)e over 3(0 primary schools. -ast Ghamparan, >adhepura,
&uranga*ad, >u)a5arpur, 7heohar, 7itamarhi and Jaishali together have yet
to operationali)e over 800 @67. & total num*er of /,0"8 ha*itations do not
have @67 within 3 !ms.
=ropout ,ates, 8ut of 7chool Ghildren 08o7G1 5 7elected -ducational 7tatistics
07-71 $00/-0' has reported high incidence of dropout at primary 0("./3%1 and
elementary 0'/.'"%1. &s per latest >B,= reports, the state enrolled (.$8 la!h
8o7G children in the /-"% age-group in schools?-.7?&2- centres during $008-
0#. The total num*er of remaining 8o7G is (.$3 la!h, constituting $.(% of the
total child population of the relevant age-group, is targeted to *e enrolled in
$00#-"0. =istricts li!e =ar*hanga, -ast M Aest Ghamparan, +awada, +alanda,
Datihar, &uranga*ad and Begusarai have large num*er of 8o7G.
Nuality 2mprovementF &s per =27- 0$00'-081, 6upil Teacher ,atio 06T,1 for
primary classes has improved to (%F" 0national ratio %/F"1, as compared to
/(F" in $00/-0'. 7imilarly, 6T, for upper primary classes has increased to (#F"
0national ratio 3%F"1, as compared to /'F" in $00/-0'. $.($ la!h teachers posts
were sanctioned under 77& upto $00'-08, &gainst this 3the *ac!log of teacher
vacancies 038,"($ under 77& and %',/%$ under state *udget1 is li!ely to *e
cleared soon.
& matter of grave concern is the large num*er of untrained teachers
0".%/ la!h1. =uring $008-0#, against /','$" teachers only #%8" 0"%%1 have
*een given induction training. The state govt is getting these teachers trained
with the help of 2.+8@ through a $-year distance education diploma course in
primary education. The state govt is planning to enrol a*out /0,000 teachers
in 2.+8@ in the current year 0 $00#-"01.
&llocations and -;penditure under 77&
0,s. Grore1
3ear 8utlay &ppd.
*y >B,=
&llocation
0Gentral ,eleases1
-;penditure
0includes .82 and
state
8
share1
? P&a(
$00$-03 $38.8( '#."( 3%.($
$003-0% ''".// "#(."/ '#.80
$00%-0( 88%.83 3"#.'" 3%".3$
$00(-0/ #00.0$ 3$%.00 %//.'/
$00/-0' $%"%.08 "08".'3 "(('.0#
?I P&a(
$00'-08 333#.30 "3''.%8 "#8%.30
$008-0# 3//%."/ "8/".(8 $$/3.8$
$00#-"0 %$#%.((O %(0.00
0upto 3"."0.$00#1
$$'."8
0upto 30.#.$00#1
O 2ncludes ,s.#38."( cr. spill-over.
&nnual 6lan $008-0#?$00#-"0F &pproved outlay during $008-0# was ,s
3//%."/ crore. The .82 released ,s."8/".(8 crore. &pproved outlay during
$00#-"0 is ,s.%$#%.(( crore, an amount of ,s. %(0 crore has *een released so
far and the e;penditure till 30.#.0# is ,s. $$'."8 crore.
7pecial EocusF & total num*er of 3% out of 38 districts in the state are special
focus districts identi<ed *y the >B,=, including "' districts with more than
$(,000 out of school children. &raria, =ar*hanga, Datihar, 6urnea, 7itamarhi
and Aest Ghamparan are the ' minority-concentration districts with their
population a*ove $0%.
Dastur*a .andhi Bali!a Jidyalaya 0D.BJ1F 8ut of 3#" D.BJs 0residential upper
primary schools for girls1 sanctioned, 3/# are operational with $',#/3 girls
enrolled 07G-%#%H 7T-'%H 8BG-$(%H >inority-"/%H and B6I-%%1. The progress
of construction of hostels has *een very slow, as only (' are completed, $8(
are in progress, and (/ are yet to start. The availa*ility and acuisition of land
has *een a pro*lem, so hostel *uildings were hired on rent. Iow resource
a*sorption capacity in the state was also refected in the e;penditure under
D.BJ during $00'-08. 8ut of an outlay of ,s."30 crore, only ,s.%" crore 03$%1
could *e spent amounting to a shortfall of ,s.8# crore. 7imilarly, spill over
during $008-0# amounted to ,s.'3."$ crore.
Givil Aor!s F The spill-over amount under civil wor!s is ,s.83'.($ crore in the
current year. 2n the past four years spill-over amounts have *een high
0,s."//.0/ crore in $00(-0/, ,s."/3.%/ crore in $00/-0', ,s.%//.0# crore in
$00'-08, and ,s./"%.'0 crore in $008-0#1. 2t refects the constraint in the
capacity of the state to e;ecute and complete sanctioned civil wor!s in time.
The state has to complete a large num*er of civil wor!s which have *een
sanctioned so far. 7ince the state has shown constraints in capacity to e;ecute
large amount of civil wor!s, this component was limited to $".(%%
0,s."$0#.%/ crore1 of the outlay in $008-0#. Eurther, /$8/ school *uildings
carry forward a deferred lia*ility of '(% funds 0,s.%$".8( crore1 for $00#-"0,
9
and also for (%" +67 *uildings sanctioned as new schools in $008-0# for which
construction is to ta!e place in $00#-"0. Thus an amount of ,s.%'0.08 crore is
already a deferred lia*ility for civil wor!s in the 7tate for $00#-"0. Therefore,
the state needs to complete all pending civil wor!s. The state has also not
underta!en third party evaluation of civil wor!s despite a speci<c commitment
in this regard.
-=2 ,an!ing and Basic -ducational 2nfrastructure 2ndicators of BiharF
Bihar is ran!ed 3(
th
in the country in -=2 ran!ing. >ost of the
districts of Bihar are in the *ottom uartile for the country.
,atio of 6rimary to @pper 6rimary 7chools -3.'3.
&verage 7tudent Glass ,oom ,atio -#/ 0+ational &verageF 3(1.
7ingle Teacher 7chools P/.3'%
7chools having =rin!ing Aater Eacility P80.((%.
7chools having common toilets 0%8.($%1H $"./$% of schools have
toilets for girls.
6ercentage of female teachers P3/.(0% 0+ational average
%$.'$%1
2ssues in -lementary -ducationF
Transition rate from 6rimary to upper 6rimary is /$.#$% as against
the +ational &verage of 8".83%
,etention rate at 6rimary level is (3.%0% as against the +ational
&verage of '3.'"%.
("./3% children enrolled drop out in Glasses 2-JH $0% of children
enrolled drop out in Glasses 2 M 22H &ttendance is around //%
Teacher a*senteeism is over $(%
7low pace of teacher training for professionally untrained
teachers.
The state must ensure that the share of enrolment of >uslim
minority children would refect their share in the population. &s per Gensus
$00", the percentage of >uslim population in the state is "/.(3 and the
enrolment of >uslim children is "".$'% at 67 and 8.$$% at @67, as per
=27- $00'-08.
Issues raised by the State Government
There is a gap of $,08,3/' classrooms for classes 2-J222 against which, only
",3#,$3/ classrooms have *een sanctioned under 77&. The large num*er
of classrooms is also reuired as the num*er of out of school children has
*een reduced from %(,'(,/#$ in $00"-0$ to "0,"0,'30 in $008-0#.
K The sliding scale of central share has *een an issue of concern. The state
governmentCs *udget for elementary education in the last % years has
registered an increase from ,s.%$/0 crore to ,s.80/" crore. This pro*lem
10
will *e compounded with the coming into force of the ,ight to -ducation
&ct which would further increase the <nancial *urden on the state. Bence,
the sharing pattern under 77& needs to *e reconsidered for a state li!e
Bihar.
Field +isits
Primary school1 Gulmahiya Chaw51 Sabalpur1 Patna SadarF
,egular mid-day meals were not availa*le and the food is often of su*-
standard uality. The school has only one hall in which a*out "00 students are
taught. There is a drain passing outside the hall which has to *e crossed *y
the students and the students feel unsafe. The students were found to *e
intelligent. 6arents complained a*out the teacher who is ha*itually late and
often found in drun!en condition. 0The concerned o9cial was advised to
enuire and ta!e immediate action1. There was also complaint a*out the
uality of food served under >id =ay >eal 7cheme.
The ad4oining middle school in 7a*alpur, however, is reportedly running well.
Primary schools 6Ra05iya Prathmic 7anya +idyalaya 8a0itpur1 +aishali district9
,iddle school1 .arpur1 Samastipur9 and ,iddle school1 +ishambhar 4ilat1
Samastipur:2
Iearning levels were relatively satisfactory, copies had *een chec!ed, and the
schools were generally neat. The girls were in school uniform and many had
*een taught 4udo as well. There was general satisfaction a*out the mid day
meal scheme.
7asturba Gandhi ;ali5a +idyalaya1 Saraigan01 Samastipur 2
The hostel is run *y an +.8 and the girls attend the near*y middle school.
The rooms?*eds?luggage were neat. The girls seemed to *e very well ad4usted.
8n three days of the wee!, vocational training is imparted in tailoring, mat
ma!ing, computers etc. 8n the other three days e;tra classes are ta!en *y
the teachers. The students are also taught to sing and play the ta*la and the
harmonium. The visit was e;tremely satisfying as the girls seemed to *e well
disciplined and happy at the same time. 8ne ma4or pro*lem is what these
girls would do after they pass class J222 as the scheme is only up to class J222.
'! @ Mi. Day Mea& Sc,eme 7MDMS8
>=>7 was initially launched in the state on "
st
7eptem*er, $00%, with an
initial coverage of a*out " la!h children. The coo!ed mid-day meals are *eing
served in all the primary schools of the state from :anuary $00(. Goverage
11
under the scheme increased gradually and all children in classes 2-J, including
those in -.7 ? &2- centres, were covered from &pril $00(. The >=>7 was
introduced in @67 in all the (30 -BBs since >arch $008. The state government
is paying Q/0 paisa per child and the Gentral .ovt. gives ,s.".(0 per child per
day. Erom $008-0#, the scheme is covering @67 in all *loc!s of the 7tate.
The scheme is implemented *y Jidyalaya 7hi!sha 7amiti 0J771, a "(-
mem*er *ody of parents for school development and community participation,
constituted under the Bihar J77 &ct $000. &t least one third of the mem*ers of
the 7amiti are mothers. The state govt. has delin!ed the procurement of
foodgrains and coo!ing tas!s from teachers and handed them to 6anchayat
wor!ers and >ata 7amitis? 7elf-Belp .roups.
S&
!
Mi. Day Mea& Sc,eme i( Bi,ar 7'//41/8 Detai&#
" +odal =epartment for the 7cheme =eptt. of Buman ,esources
=evelopment
$ 2mplementing agency at local level Jidyalaya 7hi!sha 7amiti 0J771
3 7tate level +odal Transport agency for
Eoodgrains
7tate EG2
% 3ear since when coo!ed meal @niversalised &pril, $00(
( +o. of children of Glasses 2-J222 covered in
$00#-"0
8/.$" la!h 0671 R $%.88 la!h
0@671S""".0# la!h
/ +o. of institutions covered during $00#-"0 &ll .ovt?aided schools M -.7?&2-
centres.
' +o. of schools days to *e covered during $00#-
"0
$3"
8 Gentral assistance released for $00#-"0 0upto
%.#.$00#1
0i1 Gost of Eoodgrains paid to EG2
0ii1 Goo!ing cost
0iii1 Transport 7u*sidy
0iv1 >>- Q ".8%F
Total allocation- $00#-"0F
,s.%/'.80 cr.
,eleasesF ,s."(#.%8 cr.
0i1 ,s.%$.(3 cr.
0ii1 ,s."08.8% cr.
0iii1 ,s.(.3( cr.
0iv1 ,s.$.'/ cr.
"0 Total Gentral allocation for coo!ing cost for ,s.%3(.3( crore.
12
$00#-"0F
>inimum >andatory 7tate Gontri*ution for
coo!ing costF-
,e.0.(0 paise per child per school
day
"" Galori<c Jalue 67F %(0 calories with "$ gm. of
protein.
@67F '00 calories with $0 gm of
protein.
"$ Aee!ly menu 7a*4i?,a4ma?,ice?=al?,ice-=al-
7a*4i, Dhichri-Gho!ha, =aliya,
-gg Gurry
"3
.
Gonstitution of 7teering-Gum->onitoring
committees at 7tate level ? =istrict level ? Bloc!
level
3es ? 3es ? 3es. But their functions
seem to *e ine5ective.
Field +isits
=uring <eld visits, it was o*served that >=>7 is popular and widely !nown. &ll
the children spo!en to informed that food is served in their schools - although
there were general complaints a*out uality.
'!0 Nati$(a& H$rticu&ture Mi##i$( 7NHM8
The opening *alance as on ".%.$00# was ,s. ",#3$."3 la!h. &n outlay of
,s. 3,8$(.00 la!h was approved in &6 $00#-"0. &n e;penditure of ,s. %"'.33
la!h was incurred during $00#-"0 till $/.8.$00#, leaving an unspent *alance of
,s. ",("%.80 la!h for the remaining part of &6 $00#-"0.
.eneral Gomments? 2ssues are F-
The states agencies continue to *e ill euipped in terms of availa*ility of
e;tension sta5, technical manpower and other infrastructure . The
e;tension sta5 was neither trained to handle a mega pro4ect li!e the +B>.
2n the <eld, there is lac! of coordination *etween the agriculture and
horticulture sta5. &griculture Technology >anagement &gency 0&T>&1
which is the forum at district level should ensure coordination of the line
departments. +B> would stand to *ene<t *y *etter coordination with
research , food processing ,industries and e;pert agencies li!e the
&gricultural and 6rocessed Eood 6roducts -;port =evelopment
&uthority0&6-=&1.
Iac! of strong mar!et lin!Pup continues to riddle +B>. -5orts at loosening
the grips of the regulated mar!ets *y amending the &6>G &ct and opening
to larger private participation have not met with much enthusiasm, as was
envisaged.
There is need for concurrent evaluation of +B> in order to o*tain a
feed*ac! on its implementation. The outcome of +B> should *e assessed
13
in order to !now the economic *ene<ts that accrue to a farmer and not get
carried away *y the mere hype of increasing coverage *y +B> in the
country.
Issues raised by the State Government
K ,evision of schedule of rates for 7prin!ler and =rip irrigation system under
centrally sponsored >icro 2rrigation schemeF .overnment of 2ndia decides
the schedule of rates for 7prin!ler and =rip irrigation system and on that
*asis (0% su*sidy 0Gentral share %0% and "0% 7tate share1 is provided
under provisions of the scheme. 7tate government has decided to provide
"0% additional su*sidy from its own resources. Bowever, the scheme is
still not popular. 8ne of the important reasons for its slow progress is the
low and unrealistic schedule of rates for the a*ove irrigation systems. The
current mar!et rate for laying =rip 2rrigation system in one hectare area at
";" meter spacing is around ,s. 88,000 whereas .overnment of 2ndia
schedule rate is only ,s. (',/00. Eor the sprin!ler irrigation system current
mar!et rate is around ,s. $',(00 for one hectare area whereas .overnment
of 2ndia rate is only ,s. "%,$'0. These rates should *e realistically revised
upwards.
@nder the ,ashtriya Drishi Ji!as 3o4ana, the methodology used for
calculating the amount of grant under the scheme as percentage of plan
outlay is not suited to Bihar. The plan si)e of the state is increasing at a
very fast pace and it would *e *etter if the >inistry of &griculture could
*ase the calculation of grant on the a*solute amount of funding for the
agriculture sector.
'! 2 Ra:iv Ga(.,i Gramee( Vi.yuti>ara( -$:a(a 7RGGV-8
The progress of ,..J3 in Bihar as reported *y the >inistry of 6ower is given
*elowF
&s per $00" Gensus Total districts in Bihar 38
Total Bloc!s ("0
Total inha*ited villages 3#,0"(
Total unelectri<ed villages "#,'/%
Total unelectri<ed ,ural Bouseholds "$,0"0,(0%
+o. of pro4ects approved in "0
th
6lan S $/
+o. of pro4ects approved in ""
th
6lan S "'
+o. of pro4ects sanctioned *y ,-G
0covering districts1
"0
th
6lan S $/ 0$(1
14
""
th
6lan S "' 0"31
Total cost of pro4ects sanctioned
0including service charges of G67@s, if any1 S "0
th
6lan ,s "%#(.80
Grore
""
th
6lan
,s."%80.0# Grore
Eunds released S ,s.
$38'.%" Grore
""
th
6lan
+o. of un-electri<ed villages to *e electri<ed under the pro4ect S
/08/
+o. of electri<ed villages to *e covered 0for household elec.1 S
//("
,ural households to *e electri<ed under the pro4ect ""
th
6lan
+o. of rural households 0non-B6I1 to *e electri<ed under the pro4ect S 3$,(#,(8"
+o. of rural households 0B6I1 to *e electri<ed under the pro4ect S "#,"8,#(/
Total no. of rural households to *e electri<ed under the pro4ect S (",'8,(3'
Status of progress
0i1 +otice 2nviting tenders issued F %$ pro4ects
0ii1 +o. of pro4ects for which contracts awardedF %$ pro4ects
0iii1 6hysical achievements so farF "',08( unelectri<ed villages were
electri<ed. Eree electricity connections were provided to /,#$,3'0
B6I households.
0iv1 2n &ugust, $00( and :uly, $00/, Nuadripartite and Tri-partite
agreements had *een signed.
0v1 +oti<cation of rural areas is done *y the state. This is reuired as
per 7ection "% of -lectricity &ct $003.
0vi1 Eranchisees are deployed in the state to cover ($(0 villages so far
as reuired under ,..J3 conditionality.
Issues raised by the State Government

K The uniform *enchmar! of ,s.% la!h per village was too small to
cover the large si)ed villages in Bihar. They would reuire at least
,s. '-8 la!h more per village.
K ,..J3 provisions need to *e amended to include three-phase
connectivity
'! 4 Pra.,a( Ma(tri Gram Sa.a> -$:a(a 7PMGS-8
15
3ear-wise &llocation, ,elease M -;penditure under 6>.73 F $00/-0' to $00#-"0
0upto >ay, $00#1
0,s. in
crore1
'//01/2 '//21/4 '//41/
&llocatio
n
,eleas
e
-;pen
diture
&lloc
ation
,eleas
e
-;penditu
re
,eleas
e
-;pen
diture
33'.00 '0"."( (80./8 33'.
00
"0$$./
$
"0/'.(% 308.3% "/$.0
3
6hysical 6rogress of Bharat +irman-,ural ,oads
Item Target 2007-08 2008-09 Cumulative
Acheivement 2005-09 Target Ach. Target Ach.
New
connectivity
!a"itation#
$No#.%
995& '2() (7) ((20 8)2 2(99
$22*%
+,gra-ation
length in .m.
9295.2( '5(0.&) 70).8( '&00.00 ((8&.'5 2&7(.8)
$29*%
New
Connectivity
length in .m.
(89)&.'( &(2(.)' 2'5.70 72'0.'( ()58.9' 2529.87
$('*%
+oteF - &ll 2ndia cumulative achievement is (8%, 80% and (8%,
respectively.
The progress under 6>.73 in the state has *een slow. The programme was
*eing implemented *y <ve Gentral &gencies. The state government has now
strengthened its own agencies and the wor!s *eing approved in the last few
years are *eing implemented *y the state governmentCs agencies.
'!/ I(te*rate. C,i&. Deve&$6me(t Service#7ICDS8
8ut of the (%( 2G=7 pro4ects sanctioned, 3#% are operational. #",#/8
anganwadi centres have *een sanctioned of which 80,$"" are operational. Eield
visits and discussions with villagers gives the impression that there is
awareness a*out &nganwadis. 2t appears that this is one of the *etter
implemented fagship programmes in the state.
'! Aa9a,ar&a& Ne,ru Nati$(a& "r)a( Re(e9a& Mi##i$( 7ANN"RM8
6atna and Bodh .aya are the two >ission Gities. @nder the *us funding,
a feet of "00 *uses has *een sanctioned for 6atna and $( for Bodh .aya at a
total cost of ,s. 3#.#0 crore and ,s. /.'( core respectively. &G& of ,s. "#.#(
core is admissi*le in the case of 6atna and ,s. (.%0 core in the case of Bodh
.aya. The <rst instalment of (0% has *een released *ut orders for the *uses
have not yet *een placed. The state government has informed that the
16
procurement and the system of plying of *uses need to *e wor!ed out and,
therefore, the *uses would *e o*tained in phases over a two-year period. They
have recently written to the >inistry for in principle approval to operate the
*uses in 666 mode. 8n the whole, the progress under :++@,> has *een very
slow.
'!' Acce&erate. Irri*ati$( Be(e%t# Pr$*ramme 7AIBP8
The allocation under &2B6 for the current year is ,s. /00 against which an
amount of ,s. "8./3 crore has *een released so far. &s is evident, the progress
is poor.
'!; Dri(>i(* Water Mi##i$( 7ARWSP8
The 7tate has a huge opening *alance of ,s. %"% crore. The =epartment
of =rin!ing Aater will release the second instalment if the state furnishes the
reports online. The state needs to ta!e urgent action in this regard.
'!< T$ta& Sa(itati$( Cam6ai*(
The achievement is 3(8,$/3 latrines 0 this is a demand driven programme
and no targets are <;ed1. +o releases had *een made in the current year till
&ugust, $00#. -;penditure of ,s. $,#"$ la!h has *een incurred in the current
year. This programme is most needed for Bihar. @nfortunately, the progress has
not *een satisfactory.
;! IMPLEMENTATION OF OTHER IMPORTANT CENTRALL- SPONSORED
SCHEMES
;! Bac>9ar. Re*i$(# Gra(t Fu(.
The Bac!ward ,egions .rant Eund 0B,.E1, launched in &ugust, $00/,
has *een designed to address the issues relating to reduction in regional
im*alance more holistically than the standard .overnment programmes and
has replaced the ,ashtriya 7am Ji!as 3o4ana 0,7J31, launched in the
*eginning of the Tenth 6lan.
Two components of B,.E are *eing implemented in Bihar. These
components areF 0a1 7pecial 6lan for Bihar0*eing handled *y the 6lanning
Gommission1H and 0*1 =istricts Gomponent covering 3/ districts of Bihar0*eing
handled *y the >inistry of 6anchayati ,a41.
3."." 7pecial 6lan for Bihar
The 7pecial 6lan has *een formulated to *ring a*out improvement in
sectors li!e power, road connectivity, irrigation, forestry and watershed
development.
17
&n allocation of ,s."000 crore per annum was *eing made for the 7pecial
6lan during the Tenth 6lan period. The same allocation is *eing made during
the -leventh 6lan period.

The details of the pro4ects included in the 7pecial 6lan for Bihar showing
the estimated cost and the funds released till date are as followsF
(Rs. in crore
Name of the Project Estimated
Project
Cost
Funds
released up
to 2008-09
Funds
released in
2009-10
Total Fund
released till
date
1. !illion "hallo# $u%e#ell &ro'ra((e
(!"$& ("u%si)* +o(ponent
544.64, 544.64 0.00 544.64
2. Restoration of -astern .an)a/ +anal 294.00 51.98 48.00 99.98
3. 0evelop(ent of 1orticulture ("u%si)*
+o(ponent
0roppe) 18.18 0.00 18.18
4. 2nte'rate) 3atershe) 0evelop(ent
&ro'ra((e
60.00 10.00 0.00 10.00
5. 0evelop(ent of "tate 1i'h#a*s 3075.004 1923.63 570.76 2494.39
6. Rail cu( roa) 5ri)'e 554.00 125.00 0.00 125.00
7. 2nte'rate) +o((unit* 5ase) 6orest
!ana'e(ent
51.04 36.06 5.24 41.30
8. "tren'thenin' of su%7trans(ission s*ste(
(&hase72
470.72 552.40 0.00 552.40
9. "tren'thenin' of
"u%7$rans(ission
"*ste( in "outh 5ihar
(&hase722
&art 2
&art 22
1005.72
1240.86
809.66 220.79

1030.45
10. Renovation an) !o)erni8ation of
5arauni an) !u8affarpur $her(al &o#er
"tation
506.20 212.53 155.21 367.74
11. Reor'ani8ation of &o#er "ector (&6+ 1.57 1.57 0.00 1.57
.ran) $otal 7803.75 4285.65 1000.00 5285.65
, 2nclu)es 9+9 of Rs. 55.50 crore release) prior to R":;. $his sche(e has no# %een recast
as the 5ihar .roun)#ater 2rri'ation "che(e.
4 Reco((en)e) %* the $echnical +o((ittee for approval.
3.".$ =istricts Gomponent
The =istricts Gomponent of the B,.E covers 3/ districts including $"
districts covered *y the erstwhile ,7J3. 2n addition, &rwal district is also
covered as part of :ehana*ad district. The allocation for the 7tate and the
funds released under B,.E from $00/-0' to $00#-"00till ""."".$00#1 are as
underF
0,s.
crore1
18
3ear &llocatio
n
Eunds released
$00/-0' ($$.%
8
$%/.#/
$00'-08 /38.## /3#.$8
$008-0# /38.## '$".((
$00#-"00till date1 /38.## 0.00
<! REVIEW OF ISS"ES RAISED B- THE PLANNING COMMISSION
D"RING ANN"AL PLAN DISC"SSIONS 7 '//41/8 AND LATER5
%." The average persondays of employment under +,-.& in $008-0# was
$/ only compared to the +ational &verage of %8 days. This could *e
improved *y generating awareness a*out the scheme so that demand
for employment increases.
%.$ The state receives a*out $/% of the total national allocation 0,s. $,$%0
crore out of ,s.8,%#( crore in the current year1 under the 2ndira &waas
3o4ana. There is demand for this programme, and the state has to
mount all e5orts to ensure its proper implementation.
%.3 The 6ower 7upply position is very erratic and small towns reportedly
receive power for less than "0-"$ hours a day. Iarge scale upgradation
of infrastructure is *eing carried out under the 7pecial 6lan and ,..J3.
The state needs to ensure that B7-B ta!es over the assets and the
lines are charged, otherwise e;pensive euipment and lines may *e
stolen.
%.% 6lanning Gommission has recently approved the revised cost estimates
of ,s. "0(3 crore for the Barauni and >u)a5arpur Thermal 6ower
7tations under the 7pecial 6lan for Bihar under the Bac!ward ,egions
.rant Eund.
%.( The state can capitali)e on its demographic dividend only *y
upgradation of s!ill sets. 2t has not yet set up the 7tate 7!ill
=evelopment >ission. The num*er of 2T2s is very small compared to
the population si)e and there are $000 persons in the age group "(-30
years for every 2T2 seat. 2T2s and other 2nstitutes may *e set up in
partnership with industrial houses?software companies. The state
should *e geared up to ta!e full advantage of the GentreCs initiative in
this regard.
%./ @nder the +ational =rin!ing Aater >ission, the state has a huge
opening *alance of ,s. %"% crore. The e;penditure in $008-0# was only
,s. "/( crore against the allocation of ,s. %$( crore. 2n the current
19
year, against the allocation of ,s. 3'$.$" crore, an amount of ,s.
"8/."" core has *een released so far.
%.' The state has made considera*le progress under 7arva 7hi!sha
&*hiyan and #8% ha*itations have primary schools within a radius of
one !m. Bowever, the drop-out rate at the primary level is ("%
compared to the national average of $(%. This programme should *e
accorded the highest priority of the state.
%.8 The progress of :++@,> has *een very slow as the pro4ects too! a
long time to *e prepared and approved. This programme reuires
greater attention.
%.# BiharCs 6lan performance has improved in the past % years and the
6lan e;penditure has increased from ,s. %%/( crore in $00(-0/ to ,s.
"$,("" crore in $008-0#.
=! OTHER ISS"ES
=! S6ecia& Ta#> F$rce $( Bi,ar
& 7pecial Tas! Eorce on issues relating to the state of the economy of
Bihar, its <nances, governance and possi*le development strategies was
constituted on %
th
:anuary, $00/ under the Ghairmanship of =r. 7atish G. :ha.
The terms of reference included inter alia analy)ing issues related to the state
of the economy of Bihar and sources of <nances to fund the development of
the 7tateH outlining measures for e;peditious implementation of on-going and
news schemesH e;amination of issues pertaining to governanceH identifying
constraints and suggesting improvements for e5ective implementation,
recommending possi*le development strategies and developing a mechanism
for e5ective dialogue *etween .overnment of 2ndia and .overnment of Bihar.
The tas! force has done a thorough 4o* and produced the following reportsF
0i1 BiharCs &griculture =evelopmentF 8pportunities and Ghallenges
0ii1 BiharF ,oad >ap for =evelopment of Bealth 7ector
0iii1 Bihar ,oad 7ector =evelopment-+ew =imensions
0iv1 ,oad >ap for Aater ,esources =evelopment in Bihar
0v1 BiharCs -;posure to 2nnovative .overnance 6ractices
0vi1 BiharCs -;posure towards the Ban!ing 7ector
0vii1 ,oad >ap for =evelopment of 6ower 7ector in Bihar
0viii1 2nformation Technology Ied .rowth in Bihar- & ,oad >ap
0i;1 ,oad >ap for ,ural 2ndustrialisation in Bihar
0;1 ,esurgent Bihar- & =evelopment Jision
This Tas! Eorce was wound up on $0
th
:uly, $00#. The <ndings of
the ,eports of the Tas! Eorce are *eing integrated into the normal wor!
of the 7tate 6lan division of the 6lanning Gommission. The state and the
20
concerned Gentral >inistries should wor! together to e;amine the
roadmap prepared for various sectors for the timely approval and
e5ective implementation of the schemes?pro4ects contained in the
reports.
=!' S6ecia& Cate*$ry Statu#
7pecial Gategory status has *een granted to some states that are
characteri)ed *y a num*er of features necessitating special
consideration. These features includeF i1 Billy and di9cult terrain, ii1 Iow
population density and?or si)ea*le share of tri*al population, iii1
7trategic location along *orders with neigh*oring countries, iv1
-conomic and infrastructural *ac!wardness and v1 +on-via*le nature of
state <nances. 7tates under this category have a low resource *ase and
are not in a position to mo*ili)e resources for their developmental needs
even though the per capita income of some of these states is relatively
high. >oreover, a num*er of these states were constituted out of former
small @nion Territories or districts of some other states, necessarily
involving creation of overheads and administrative infrastructure that
was out of proportion to their resource *ase.
&t present there are "" 7pecial Gategory 7tates namely, &runachal
6radesh, &ssam, Bimachal 6radesh, :ammu M Dashmir, >anipur,
>eghalaya, >i)oram, +agaland, 7i!!im, Tripura and @ttara!hand.
Bihar has made a claim for 7pecial Gategory status.
=!; Irri*ati$( a(. P$9er Sect$r#
The 6ower 7ector is an area of concern. The 7tate has two thermal
power plants namely, >u)a5arpur and Barauni. >u)a5arpur had *een
shut down in $003, while Barauni was operating at a*out "0% 6IE. The
renovation and moderni)ation of these 6ower 7tations is *eing carried
out under the 7pecial 6lan for Bihar and the revised cost estimate has
recently *een approved. The state government has *een reuesting that
the coal lin!ages for the "$
th
6lan *e decided at an early date so that
generation in the private sector could *e possi*le. The strengthening of
the su*-transmission system is also *eing ta!en up under the 7pecial
6lan. 8ne critical issue here is the management capa*ility of B7-B to
ta!e over the created assets and manage them e9ciently. The average
cost of supply was estimated to *e a*out ,s./.33 per unit in $008-0# as
compared to the average tari5 of ,s.3.0/ per unit. The TM= losses are
pro4ected to *e a*out 3(% in $00#-"0. The reasons for high cost of
supply are the high level of &TMG losses and the higher cost on
esta*lishment. This has adversely a5ected the <nancial via*ility of the
21
sector. The commercial losses of B7-B are pro4ected to *e ,s."8"8.3/
crore in $00#-"0.
.iven the importance of &griculture in the economy of the state,
the irrigation sector reuires special attention. The allocation under
&2B6 for the current year is ,s. /00 against which an amount of ,s.
"8./3 crore has *een released so far. &gainst the overall target of
"/##.'#0 thousand hectares under Bharat +irman, the physical progress
upto :uly $00# has *een only ($/.'(" hectares. The state must ensure
completion of ongoing pro4ects so that new pro4ects can *e ta!en up.
The state has a vast potential for ground water of which only %0% has
*een tapped, compared to the all 2ndia average of /0%. There is also a
gap of %"% *etween potential created and potential utili)ed which needs
to *e *ridged urgently to ma;imi)e the *ene<ts to agriculture. The old
million shallow tu*e well scheme under the 7pecial 6lan has *een
replaced with the Bihar .round Aater 2rrigation 7cheme. +&B&,= has
to wor! in close con4unction with the *an!s and the district authorities to
ensure that the farmers receive the *ene<ts of the programme.
Gontinuous monitoring is reuired *y the state government and
+&B&,=.
=!< Ot,er I##ue# Rai#e. )y t,e State G$ver(me(t
Dosi Eloods ,econstruction and ,eha*ilitation 6ac!ageF BiharCs claim for a
6ac!age of ,s. "%,800 crore should *e considered.
BandloomsF +ot even a single >ega cluster has *een given to Bihar even
though Bihar has a large num*er of minority handloom weavers in and
around Bhagalpur.
&gricultureF Bihar has launched an &griculture ,oad >ap. The Gredit
=eposit ratio is very poor and hence only $% of the credit programme will
reach Bihar. Bence the credit needs need to *e ta!en care of.
Eood 7ecurityF 6oor households in Bihar num*er ".(0 crore which is more
than dou*le the .82 estimate of /( la!h households. @nless the manner
in which poverty is measured is sorted out, the food security scheme will
leave half of the poor population uncovered.
E,B> &ctF The states should *e permitted fe;i*ility of ".(% over the
prescri*ed target of %% for <scal de<cit.
=evolution of Gentral ta;esF &s a result of ta; reliefs in the *udget, Bihar
faces a possi*le reduction of ,s. %/"/ crore as its share of Gentral ta;es.
Goal *loc!s must *e allocated for the Twelfth 6lan as investors in the
power sector would not come forward without this vital lin!age.
@! CONCL"SION5
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Bihar deserves to *e treated on a special footing, in view of its resource
*ase, very low level of human development, and the severe deprivation
of ma4ority of its population. &gainst this conte;t, most of the issues
raised *y the state government reuire special consideration.
2f 7arva 7i!sha &*hiyan077&1 is one of the *etter implemented fagship
programmes in the stateH implementation of :++@,> appears to *e on
the other end of the spectrum. There is a need for a special Tas! Eorce
for monitoring the implementation of fagship and other important
programmes.
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