DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand has registered a loss of 79 per cent of GDP in rural pockets with total losses amounting to whopping Rs 36,680 crore, revealed the latest State Bank of India (SBI) Ecowrap report on the state GDP figures across India.
The report had come out in August-end covering the first lockdown period which hit the economy hard rendering millions jobless. State finance secretary Amit Negi said, "Uttarakhand statistical department is preparing a report about GDP of the state. We are also looKing into the SBI report."
Last month, the state government asked the Centre for Rs 2041 crore-worth GST compensation. The opposition launched an attack on the state government blaming the BJP for the current situation.
Indira Hridayesh, leader of opposition in Assembly said, "The present economic situation cannot be dismissed as 'Act of God' entirely. The national GDP has plummeted at -23.9 per cent. The economy has been on decline batting few quarters since the demonitization and other bad policy decision of the center. People of Uttarakhand were promised unprecedented development but the 'Double Engine' has now failed."
The report states that among the top 50 worst affected districts in August which are witnessing maximum number of new cases 26 are rural. Rural areas in Andhra Pradesh worst hit while Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh are showing increasing rural spread
The report also revealed that among the rural districts which have less than 50 cases in April and where spread has been more in August, there are four districts which contribute more than 10 per cent to respective GSDP.
Statewise GSDP loss shows a disproportionate loss in rural areas of states like Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Rajasthan.
These states mostly produce cereals, pulses among others 8 districts are identified as hotspots (having more than 1000 daily new cases), with two (East Godavari and Nellore) being rural districts both of Andhra Pradesh. "Monsoon pattern indicates that mostly these areas have received normal to excess rainfall, thus boosting prospects, but also resulting in more caseloads! Monsoon is acting as a double whammy!" said the report.