Draft Five Year Plan 1978-83 Government of Bihar

Abstract

Bihar, with a population of 56.35 millions, at the 1971 Census contains 10.3 per cent of the total population of India. It has a total area of 1.74 lakh sq. kms. which constitutes only 5.3 per cent of the country’s total area. the density of population in the State is thus 324 persons per sq. km. against 171 only for allIndia. Growth of income.—A common indicator of the progress of an economy is the rate of growth of the State’s domestic product and the per capita income. The net domestic product of the State rose from Rs. 1807 crores in 1960-61 to Rs. 2635 crores in 1976-77 at 1970-71 prices which yield an average growth rate of 2.9 per cent per annum. During this period, the per capita income of the State increased from Rs. 392 to Rs. 421, an increase of only 0.4 per cent per annum. Both these rates are lower than the average rates for all-India which work out to roughly 3.3. per cent and 1.1 per cent per annum, respectively.