Regional development issues in Bihar | Regional disparities in Bihar

Issues of Regional Development in Bihar:

Regional development issues and regional inequalities are one and the same thing. Regional disparities mean uneven development in different regions.

Although Bihar as a whole is a socio-economically backward region of India, the socioeconomic development parameters of Bihar are well below India's national average.

For example,

• The average salary per worker in Bihar is around 1.2 lakh per annum while the national salary is around Rs 2.5 lakh.
• The annual growth in agriculture in Bihar from 2001 to 2016 was 2.04% while it has been recorded for India at 3.2% during the same period.
• The road density of Bihar is one of the lowest among the plains of India.
• According to the Human Development Index of Indian States (2011), the HDI rank of Bihar is 21.
• As per the 2011 census, Bihar's overall literacy rate is 63.82% while the female literacy rate is only 53.33%. While the overall literacy rate of India is around 74.04 percent while the female literacy rate is around 65.46%.
• According to the report of Poverty Estimates 2011-12 published by the Planning Commission, 21.92% of India's population is below the poverty line while in Bihar 33.74% of Bihar's population is below the poverty line.

However, not all regions of Bihar are backward. Development is not equally distributed in all the regions of Bihar, some areas of Bihar are more developed than other parts.

For example,

• Patna, Muzaffarpur, and East Champaran districts are the three most prosperous districts of Bihar with good socio-economic development.
• Sheohar, Sheikhpura, and Arwal districts are the three least developed districts of Bihar, with great poverty.

The following are the regional development issues and causes of regional disparities in Bihar:

Uneven level of urbanization in Bihar:

As we know that urbanization is the key to modern economic development, and there is a positive relationship between urbanization and development.

The urbanization rate of Bihar is very slow, as it increased from 9.59% in 1981 to 11.3% in 2011, with only about a 1.7% increase in urbanization in 30 years.

The majority of Bihar's urban population (living in urban areas and involved in non-primary activities) is concentrated in Patna, Gaya, and Muzaffarpur.

Only Patna city has systematic planning for urbanization, other cities of the states do not have systematic planning for urbanization.

The uneven level of urbanization is mostly responsible for the regional disparities in Bihar.

Negligible Industrialization in Bihar:

The contribution of industry to Bihar's GDP is about 19% and is well below the national average of 30%. The contribution of the industrial sector of Jharkhand state (37.1% of Jharkhand's GDP comes from manufacturing) is also much higher than that of Bihar.

The average salary per worker in Bihar is around 1.2 lakh per annum while the national salary is around Rs. 2.5 lakhs.

A large industry acts as a growth pole of the region. Due to a lack of industries, Bihar is dragging many areas backward from development.

The concentration of wealth in some cities:

Patna city is attracting money, skills, etc. from the surrounding area; As a result, there is a scarcity of resources in the surrounding areas. For example, Arwal district is one of the least developed districts of Bihar, however, it is located near Patna.

Muzaffarpur is also attracting neighboring resources hence Sheohar which is near Muzaffarpur is also one of the least developed areas of Bihar.

Flooding and low capital in agricultural sectors:

Most of the area of ​​Bihar is flat land and has fertile alluvial soil which is best suited for intensive agriculture. Bihar also has the largest workforce involved in the agriculture sector. Despite these advantages, the rural area of ​​Bihar remains one of the least developed regions of India along with Bihar. Most of the poor population of Bihar is living in rural areas.

The reason for low agricultural production is floods and low investment in agricultural sectors.

About 73 percent of the geographical area of ​​Bihar is flood affected. Annual floods in northern and southern Bihar cause widespread destruction and unemployment. Poor infrastructure in the region further exacerbates the destruction. Due to this the area is less developed and is developing very slowly. The intensity of floods is increasing year after year due to climate change.

Low Growth in Agriculture Sectors:

About 70% of Bihar's workforce is directly engaged in agricultural activities while the contribution to the state's GDP is around 21%.

The average holding is about 0.4 ha.

The annual growth in agriculture in Bihar from 2001 to 2016 was 2.04% as compared to 3.2% recorded for the same country. It has been recorded in the same country during the same period. 2% has been recorded.

Corruption and Caste-Based Elections:

Development in Bihar is facing a major hurdle due to corruption and caste-based elections in the state. Whichever government is in the state, it mainly pays attention to the development of the capital region of Bihar.

Local Factors:

Port access and market access are required for the development of any region. As we know that Bihar is a state which is neither connected by ports nor it is adjacent to the market (a market is a large number of high-income people living in it). The states around Bihar are also not very developed and Bihar is far away from economically developed regions like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai.

Development plan for Bihar in view of its regional disparities:

Transport and Communication:

Access to high-level transport and communication networks is a prerequisite for the development of any region. That is why, in order to reach the market of the Delhi-NCR region, the western districts of Bihar should be connected by the Puruvanchal Expressway of Uttar Pradesh. There is a need for a high-speed transport line from Kolkata port to facilitate trade and commerce in the global market.

National Highways should be made available to each district of Bihar. There is a need for huge investment in infrastructure. Access to the internet (fiber optics) in every village will increase digital literacy among people and new means of employment will be available.

Industrialization:

The Shivalik range of Bihar has great potential for pharmaceutical and forest-based industries as it is near the Himalayas and the climate of the region is also suitable for these industries.

The plains of Bihar have great potential for agro-based industries like the sugar industry, the ethanol industry, packaged food industry, etc.

The plateau region (southern part of Bihar) has the potential for mineral-based industries as this region is adjacent to the Chotanagpir plateau.

The government should create a business-friendly environment for investment.

Urbanization:

The government should come up with a long-term urbanization plan for all parts of Bihar as right now urbanization is mostly concentrated in the capital region of Bihar, there is a need to increase it in other areas as well.

The solution to the problem of the flood:

Bihar's flood agriculture is underdeveloped and a major obstacle to migration. As we know that Kosi river is famous for changing its stream every year. 95% of the water of the Kosi river flows through the new channel. We have to build a contour canal on all the flood-generating rivers across Bihar which is technically possible. Contour canals have thus been built in other countries such as Britain. With this, we will be able to stabilize the direction of the river. An artificial system should also be installed to remove the silt from the canal so that the silt does not block the canal.

Investing in Human Resources:

Most of the people in Bihar are illiterate and illiteracy is a major obstacle to overall human development. Bihar government should invest more in the quality of education facilities and inclusive education in the state.

Try to solve the following questions:

•  Discuss the regional development issues in Bihar and suggest measures to improve the situation. ( 64th BPSC geography)
• Prepare a development plan for Bihar in view of its regional disparities. ( 60-62nd BPSC geography)

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