"Our rivals blamed us for slowing of development and development coming to a halt in recent times...We had answered their accusations with figures during election...The publication of data (in Niti Ayog report) has proved the blame as rootless," Kumar told reporters.
"Our stand has been vindicated," he said.
According to the report published first by domestic rating agency Brickwork, Bihar's growth rate of 17.6 per cent was in terms of gross state domestic product (GSDP).
It was followed by Madhya Pradesh at 16.86 per cent and Goa at 16.43 per cent.
Kumar said they had strongly contested the report published during elections on ease of doing business (which had put Bihar at the bottom and Gujarat and other BJP ruled states on top).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other BJP and NDA leaders had attacked Nitish Kumar on the development issue during election campaigning.
The PM's assertion at an election rally that while BJP ruled states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan had come out of the "BIMARU Raj" tag, Bihar could also achieve it if a saffron party government was formed in the state was strongly contested by Nitish Kumar.
Buoyed by the Niti Ayog latest report, Kumar said, "Our efforts will be to continue with the good performance... development has picked speed and there is no chance of it stopping.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
