Except the state of Nagaland, all other seven states could register growth rates above their targets. Amazing was the growth rate of 22.8 per cent achieved by the Himalayan state of Sikkim as the target set for the state at the beginning of the plan was just 6.7 per cent
The ‘insurgency infested’, ‘under-developed’ North Eastern states might be often in news for more bad than good reasons, but when it came to overall growth during the 11th five year plan (2007-12), they proved they were also the frontrunners. The collective average growth rate of the eight North Eastern states was far above the national average.
As against India’s average annual growth rate of 7.9 per cent during the 11th plan, the eight North Eastern states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura, registered collective average growth of 9.95 per cent.
As per government figures, out of the eight states, growth rates of five states – Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Sikkim, were singularly above the 7.9 mark. Sikkim registered a whopping growth rate of 22.8 per cent, followed by Mizoram (11 per cent), Arunachal Pradesh (9.4 per cent), Tripura (8.7 per cent) and Meghalaya (8.1 per cent). The rest of the three states – Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, however, registered below national average growth rates of 6.9 per cent, 6.5 per cent and 6.2 per cent respectively. Whether it’s a coincidence or a direct fallout of militancy, the states of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, which were lagging behind in the growth race as compared to their other North Eastern sisters during the 11th plan, are victims of insurgency and militancy.
Except the state of Nagaland, all other seven states could register growth rates above their targets. Amazing was the growth rate of 22.8 per cent achieved by the Himalayan state of Sikkim as the target set for the state at the beginning of the plan was just 6.7 per cent. The other states which also outperformed their targets were Arunachal Pradesh (achieved growth rate of 9.4 per cent against the target of 6.4 per cent), Assam (achieved 6.9 per cent against the target of 6.5 per cent), Manipur (6.5 per cent against the target of 5.9 per cent), (Meghalaya 8.1 per cent against the target of 7.3 per cent), Mizoram (11 per cent against the target of 7.1 per cent) and Tripura (achieved 8.7 per cent against the target of 6.9 per cent). Though the target of 9.3 per cent was set for Nagaland, it could just achieve 6.2 per cent and is at the bottom of the table.
