'Bihar's factory output races to match India's pace'

Laggard state of Bihar seems to have caught up with the rest of India as it clocked 14.80 per cent growth in factory output in 2007-08, marginally less than the country's rate of 15.24 per cent.

"Bihar is doing well," Ashish Kumar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MOSPI) said releasing summary of Annual Survey of Industries 2007-08, the volume of which would be out within a month.

The survey conducted by Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) and National Sample Survey Organisation under MOSPI provides information on factories, and bidi and cigar units across India. State-wise details are expected in the volume.

"Bihar's total factory output was 14.80 per cent and total employees grew by 10.02 per cent in 2007-08 over 2006-07," Kumar said, adding that India's factory output during the year grew by 15.24 per cent.

Recently, Bihar had hit the headlines as a CSO data showed the state clocking an astonishing 11.03 per cent growth per year during 2004-05 and 2008-09 second only to Gujarat at 11.05 per cent, when the country grew at 8.49 per cent.

According to the ASI 2007-08, the highest number of working factories was in Tamil Nadu (14.37 per cent) followed by Maharashtra (12.50 per cent).

Maharashtra had the highest invested capital at 16.78 per cent followed by Gujarat at 16.37 per cent and Tamil Nadu at 10.12 per cent, it said