RJD questions Bihar govt's growth figures

Questioning Nitish Kumar Government's claims of development in Bihar, the RJD on Saturday alleged that it was "befooling" and misleading the people by showing a growth rate of 11.04 per cent.

Questioning Nitish Kumar Government's claims of development in Bihar, the RJD on Saturday alleged that it was "befooling" and misleading the people by showing a growth rate of 11.04 per cent.

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"The World Bank has said the economic condition of the state is worse than that of Ghana," RJD spokesman Shakeel Ahmed Khan said at a press conference with General Secretary Ramkripal Yadav. He did specify which World Bank report he was referring to.

The growth rate statistics given by the government were not only "incorrect but also have brought to the fore the real face of the state government", Khan said,

He claimed that Bihar lagged behind all other states in the country in areas of primary health, drinking water and education.

The World Bank report had also held that the governance in the state was poor and the gap between the poor and rich was growing, he claimed.

Khan said even noted economist R Nagraj in a recent article said there had been contradictions in the growth rate being claimed by the state government and the real growth rate.

The actual growth rate in Bihar stood at 7.5 per cent against the national average of 8.5 per cent and according to a survey conducted by India Today magazine, Bihar performed poorly, he said.