Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen on Saturday described "the catch up" growth rate Bihar had now achieved after remaining backward for a long time.
"The state has to cover a long distance in achieving the objective of development with justice," Sen said, adding, Bihar had now joined the race of development with present growth rate. “It is just a catch up growth rate which is still very low," he said, while speaking on the second day of the 'Global Bihar Summit 2012 on changing Bihar'.
Sen said, "National Sample Survey Organisation had always put the state's growth on a higher scale between 2004 and 2009... But there is no improvement in the poverty situation. If everybody starts feeling better, it is the real meaning of development.”
He praised the Nitish Kumar government for ensuring development and said there had been several good works done by the state government during the past five years.
"There is marked improvement in law and order and the state government had adopted fiscal responsibilities," the Planning Commission member said.
"The state has to do lot more to end corruption and maintaining law and order and have more transparency in functions," he emphasised.
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The state had to lay more thrust on health and education for reaping rich harvests of the financial help reaching it from the Centre.
"It has to lay special thrust on health and education and properly utilise the funds being received from the Central government,” Sen pointed out.