The Bihar Economic Survey 2025-26, released Monday, crowns Patna as the state’s economic powerhouse while condemning Sheohar to last place among districts. The report boosts the average per capita income to Rs 76,490 but lays bare persistent regional imbalances.
Patna’s Rs 1,31,332 per capita income towers over Sheohar’s Rs 18,980 – a gap of almost six times that screams for attention. It’s a tale of two Bihars: one bustling with opportunity, the other mired in stagnation.
Evaluations drew from consumption metrics: petrol, diesel, LPG per head, plus small savings. Patna excelled universally – topping petrol charts (Muzaffarpur second, Purnia third), diesel lists (Sheikhpura, Aurangabad next), and LPG rankings (Begusarai, Gopalganj trailing).
Conversely, petrol was scarcest in Lakhisarai, Banka, Sheohar; diesel in Sheohar, Siwan, Kaimur; LPG in Araria, Banka, Madhepura. Begusarai’s Rs 61,566 and Munger’s Rs 54,469 highlight affluence, against Araria’s Rs 19,795 and Sitamarhi’s Rs 21,448.
With full rankings for 38 districts, the survey urges strategic reforms. Only by uplifting the likes of Sheohar can Bihar achieve holistic prosperity and reduce internal inequities.