Patna, Nov. 9: Bihar has registered a growth rate of more than 17 per cent in total establishments in the unorganised sector. The establishments taken into account were all enterprises engaged in income-earning activities. The number of establishments touched 12.25 lakh according to the economic census report 2005.

Deputy chairman of state’s planning board Hari Kishore Singh and planning and development department principal secretary Vijoy Prakash today released the 5th Economic Census Report, 2005, at a programme conducted by the directorate of economics and statistics (DES), the nodal agency of the state government for statistical activities. The census was conducted in 2005 by the Central Statistical Organisation in collaboration with the state government with a view to meet the demand of various users for data on the unorganised sectors of the economy.

The report gives detailed analysis supported by tables on various aspects of economic activities at the district-level and for rural and urban areas. Of 12.25 lakh establishments, 11.44 lakh were self-financed which did not have any kind of financial support through the banking system, the report said adding that of these, 8.35 lakh establishments (68.23 per cent) belonged to rural areas and about 3.89 lakh establishments were located in urban areas.

The report said that out of total establishments, 8.20 lakh (67.02 per cent) belonged to the own account establishments and 4.03 lakh (32.98 per cent) were establishments with at least one hired worker.

There were total 22.69 lakh workers in 12.25 lakh establishments of the state in 2005, the number of total workers grew by 1.62 per cent during 1998-2005, the report said adding that 14.05 lakh workers (61.90 per cent) were in rural area while 8.65 lakh workers (38.10 per cent) were in urban areas. Of 22.69 lakh people working in 12.25 lakh establishments, it has been witnessed that a chunk of people were working in retail trade (44.31 per cent), manufacturing (20.76 per cent), restaurants and hotels (4.56 per cent), education (8.12 per cent), the economic census said adding that there were 20,942 male and 11,013 female child labours respectively.

Prakash said the report, which has been published with a delay would not give the exact figure of the work initiated by the current dispensation (NDA government) but it would help in having comparative analysis with the 6th census which is expected to be carried out in April-May 2012.

Prakash expressed hope that next census would give the better picture of the growth story of unorganised sector as a lot has been done in sectors like real estate, banking service, education, health, restaurants and hotels and others where very few persons were working in these sectors according to the 5th census.