SHIMLA: Himachal Pradesh is expected to have grown at a pace of 8.3 per cent in 2021-22 as compared with a negative growth of 6.2 per cent in the pandemic-hit 2020-21, according to the Economic Survey presented in the state's Assembly on Thursday.
The growth in per-capita income during 2021-22 is estimated at 10.1 per cent, it added. "In real terms, the increase in gross state domestic product (GSDP) pre-COVID and post-COVID that is 2019-20 to 2021-22 is 2.7 per cent.
In several sectors of the economy, pre-pandemic levels of output have been crossed," stated the Economic Survey 2020-21 tabled in the state's Assembly on Friday.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, who also holds the portfolio of finance, tabled the Economic Survey, a day before presenting the Budget for next fiscal 2022-23 on March 4.
"Real GDP or GDP at constant prices (2011-12) in the year 2021-22 is estimated at Rs 1,24,400 crore as against the provisional estimate of GDP for 2020-21 of Rs 1,14,814 crore.
"Nominal GDP or GDP at current prices in the year 2021-22 is estimated at Rs 1,75,173 crore, as against the provisional estimate of GDP for the year 2020-21 of Rs 1,56,675 crore," it added.
The per-capita income in Himachal Pradesh at current prices is estimated to grow by 10.1 per cent at Rs 2,01,854, which is more than the estimated national per-capita income for 2020-21 by Rs 51,528.
Agriculture and allied sectors have been the least impacted by the pandemic and the sector is expected to grow by 8.7 per cent in 2021-22, it added.
As per advanced estimates, the industry's gross value added (GVA) will rise 11 per cent in 2021-22 after contracting by 6.6 per cent in 2020-21.
The services sector has been the hardest hit by the pandemic. This sector is estimated to have grown 6.3 per cent during 2021-22, following the last year's 2.1 per cent negative growth, it added.
The economic survey further stated that tourism is an important source of revenue and diverse employment opportunities.
A significant rise was noticed in the domestic as well as foreign tourist inflow during the past few years but due to the impact of COVID-19, there was a sharp decrease of 81 per cent in tourist arrivals in 2020.
However, on the positive side, there is an increase of 75.44 per cent in tourist inflow up to December 2021, it added.
In Himachal Pradesh, inflation has been moderate since 2014, Consumer Price Index-Combined (CPI-C) inflation was 4.6 per cent in 2016-17 and 5.2 per cent in 2020-21. The Survey highlighted the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) report for 2019-20.
This shows that the labour force participation rate has increased from 52.8 per cent in 2018-19 to 57.7 per cent in 2019-20, it added.