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Industry
Bihar has
a number of major public
sector projects like the Oil refinery of Indian Oil Corporation and Fertilizer
manufacturing plant of Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd (HPCL) at Barauni,
Pyrites, Phosphates and Chemicals Ltd (PPCL) at Amjhor; Cotton spinning mills at
Siwan, Pandaul, Bhagalpur, Mokamah and Gaya; 13 sugar mills in private sector
and 15 in public section located in South and North Bihar. In addition distilleries
at Gopalganj, West Champaran, Bhagalpur and Riga (Sitamarhi District); finish
leather industry in West Champaran, Muzaffarpur and Barauni; Jute mills at
Katihar and Samastipur; Medicine manufacturing unit at Hajipur; Food processing
units and Vanaspati manufacturing units at Aurangabad and Patna; Kalyanpur
Cement Ltd at Banjari are some of the notable industries in Bihar. Bihar has tremendous resources and their utilisation in the interest of its
growing population has to be the supreme responsibility of both the state
administration and the national planners.
Agriculture
The principal agricultural crops are
rice, paddy, wheat, jute, maize and oil seeds. Cauliflower, cabbage, tomato, radish, carrot, beat etc. are some of the
vegetables grown in the state. Sugarcane, potato and barley are some of the
non-cereal crops grown. The entire agricultural operations is divided into two
crop seasons Kharif and Rabi. The Kharif season starts from the third week of
May and lasts till the end of October followed by the Rabi season
Uneconomic Holdings
Agriculture has been the sole source of wealth in Bihar.
This fact is perhaps one of the chief causes of the state's poverty, as no land
can be rich which depends mainly on agriculture. The problem of uneconomic
holdings has been compounded by fragmentation i.e. by splitting and separation
of the holdings of most cultivators into many tiny plots, adding to the labour
of the cultivators and decreasing the efficiency of their operations. Improved
methods and machinery are being gradually introduced, but much passive
resistance and many conservative prejudices have still to be overcome before the
rural classes can be induced to take them. Within recent years some progress is
noticeable. The only practical solution is that, first in increasing the
productivity of the available land and second, in creating non-agricultural
sources of employment through the development of industries. Agriculture is
making progress in every direction. Farming is more scientific, the use of
chemical manure is becoming more general, and the rotation of crops better
understood. In the context of the predominantly rural character of the economy,
national extension services has been developed to bring to the farmer the
knowledge of better farming practices together with ready supply of means. The
credit for the establishment of such an extension agency goes to the Community
Development Programme which was initiated during the First Five year plan
period. From the point of view of economic development, community development
blocks provide opportunities for integrated rural development and there is
provision in the block budget itself for (i) the improvement of agriculture,
including provision for minor irrigation, soil conservation, improvement of
village forests, animal husbandry and dairying (ii) development of co-operation
(iii) village industries (iv) elementary education, especially provision of
school buildings for local communities (v) rural water supply and the programme
of minimum rural amenities, including construction of approach roads linking
each village to the nearest road or railhead.
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