Bihar recorded an overall growth rate of 16.71 per cent during 2011-2012, the highest in the past five years, State Deputy Chief Minister, Mr Sushil Kumar Modi, said on Tuesday.

Mr Modi, who also holds the finance portfolio, said the State had created a record in food grains production during the year which is the highest since independence.

Bihar produced 166.69 lakh million tonnes (mt) of foodgrains during 2011-2012 compared to 103.47 lakh mt last year, he said quoting latest figures which were made available in June.

The 2011-12 agriculture production marked a growth rate of 17.16 per cent, which was considerably higher than in the previous years, Mr Modi said.

The growth rate had been as low as 0 per cent from 1992-95 which rose to 3.8 per cent from 1995-1996 till 2001-02. “Despite the ups and downs in the previous years the NDA government has tried to stabilise it and now we have plans to achieve a growth rate at 13 per cent during 12th Plan,” he said adding the State Government was working in this direction.

He said earlier there was misconception about Bihar’s growth rate as it was believed it was based only on construction and communication. “It has now been established that the increase of growth rate has been because of record production of foodgrains.”

“We have worked out an agriculture road map for the next five years on which the State Government proposes to spend more than Rs 150 lakh crore to boost agriculture production, storage, animal resources, dairy, poultry and other allied activities,” Mr Modi said.

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