Patna, March 1: The industrial scene has not changed much — nor even in 100 and more years — in the state.

The city had failed to become an engine of economic growth around 100 years ago and the conditions remain the same even today. Reason: absence of industries to support its economy.

According to Ashok Anshuman, professor of history, LS College, the population of Patna in 1891 was around 1.65 lakh and that of Delhi and Lahore stood at 1.89 lakh and 1.49 lakh, respectively.

However, while the other two cities with almost similar population embarked on a path of economic growth backed by industrial development in the next few decades, Patna confined itself to a mere self-contained town due to the lack of industries.

It is not just the Nitish Kumar government that has failed to get industries. The situation has remained the same for the city for nearly a century. Deliberating on how the city has missed out on commerce and trade over the years, Anshuman said: “CH Hamilton, faculty member, department of economics, Patna University during his survey of Patna Bazaar in 1921 said the town had sunk down to one of petty traders and artisans. Of the 1,443 units of merchants here, only nine were wholesale units. There were no big banking and trade houses in the town. Trade was only on local level and the town was not catering even to the needs of hinterlands.”

He added: “The census of 1891 suggests that there was a significant migration of population from urban to rural areas in Patna and other towns in Bihar because of lack of employment opportunities and widespread diseases as well.”

Anshuman was speaking at the seminar, “Urban centres in Bihar: through the ages”, organised by KP Jayaswal Research Institute at Bihar Heritage Development Society.

History repeats itself. If the phrase holds true then lakhs of population in Patna today might face the same epidemic like conditions that the city witnessed during the period of 1891-1921 because of complete lack of hygiene and sanitation facilities. Anshuman claimed that the city witnessed a drastic fall in urban population during the period of 1891-1921 due to spread of diseases like plague, cholera, small pox and malaria among others owing general unhygienic conditions in the city.

Unhygienic conditions prevail in the state capital even today. Patna lacks a proper mechanism for carting garbage at least since 2011.