Ranchi:When two decades ago the state of Jharkhand came into being on 15 November 2000, the tribals and Adivasis of the area imagined a bright future. Sitting atop rich minerals and resources, the state's backward communities hoped for development and equality that freedom fighter Birsa Munda fought for.
But, did the state achieve all that it hoped for?
After separation from Bihar, the then government of the state prepared a budget of Rs 7,174.12 crore for the financial year 2001-02. Then the per capita income in Jharkhand was 10 thousand 451 rupees. The government made continuous efforts of development in the economic, social and many other fields.
As a result, per capita income increased steadily and the graph of development in the state went up, while the index of poverty came down.
Migration of people
When the separate state of Jharkhand was formed in 2000, there were a total of 18 districts in the state, which has now increased to 24. In 2001, the budget of Jharkhand was Rs 4800.12 crore, which has now increased to 86 thousand 370 crore rupees.
Despite all this, 39.1 per cent people in the state are living below the poverty line with the rate of increase in unemployment being more than 3 (3.1%) per cent. With so many industries and job opportunities in the state, the process of people's migration in search of jobs continues.
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Improvement in literacy
The population of Jharkhand at the time of its formation was 2.69 crore in 2000 which is now increased to 3.30 crores according to the 2011 census. The sex ratio has also improved with there being 941 girls per 1000 thousand boys in 2001 to now rising to 948.