According to the Annual Economic Survey of Madhya Pradesh for the year 2018-19 per capita income rose Rs.90,998 as compared to Rs.82,941 in 2017-18. Despite an increase of 9.71 per cent it remained much behind the All India average of Rs.1,26 lakh. In many fields the Madhya Pradesh is behind the other states.
The national average of people living below the poverty line is 21.92 per cent but in Madhya Pradesh it is at high rate at 31.62 per cent. The infant death rate in the state is 47 per thousand which highest of India. The national average is 33 per thousand. The death of women at delivery in the state is 173 per lakh while the national average 130 death. The 52.4 per cent women in the state are suffering from anemia.
In agriculture the state received National Krishi Karman Award for many years in continuation. The food production increased by four per cent. The state is having almost all the crops as bumper crops. But the wages of agricultural labourers are lowest in India at 210 rupees. The state has largest number of agro-labourers 69 lakh registered in MANREGA.
Obviously the ongoing Congress Government of Chief Minister Mr.Kamal Nath cannot be held responsible for such shortcomings. It is in office few months before. For the last 15 years the BJP Chief Ministers Mr.Shivraj Singh Chouhan Government was in power and responsible for such affairs. In the poverty the State is placed at 27th rank among the States. The contribution of industrial sector in the State GDP has gone down from 27 to 24.14 per cent. While reduction in agricultural sector is very marginal from 37.90 to 37.17 per cent.
The Survey pointed out reduction in enrolments in primary and middle schools. The biggest problem of the farmers in the state are that they do get timely and adequate supplies of certified seeds, quality fertilizers and pesticides. In the year 18-19 till December only 2013 lakh quintals of certified seeds were given to farmers while in the previous year 2017-18 the seed distribution was of 39.75 lakh quintal. The State Seed Corporation is unable to meet full demands certified seeds.
In the last decades the Madhya Pradesh has made tremendous progress on wheat production. At one time it was at 4th place behind Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab but gradually it surpassed Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and now equal to Punjab at 1st place.
The survey revealed that in the State the area under wheat cultivation reduced by 9.64 per cent and under Paddy cultivation it has come down to 10.49 per cent, while in oil seed crops it is reduced by 15.52 per cent.The Madhya Pradesh is at the top in the quality of wheat. Its “Sharbati” and “Malvi” varieties of wheat are in the high demand in many countries and a major export item.