DISTRICT PROFILE KATIHAR INTRODUCTION Katihar district is one of the thirty-eight administrative districts of Bihar . Katihar was earlier a sub-divisional town of Purnea district and acquired the status of an independent district on 2nd October 1973. It is a part of Purnea division. Katihar district is situated in the plains of north eastern Bihar, surrounded by the districts of Purnea and Bhagalpur of Bihar State, district of Sahebganj of Jharkhand state, and districts of Malda and Uttar Dinajpur of West Bengal state. Rivers which flows in Katihar district are Mahananda, Ganges, Kosi and Righa . HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Katihar finds mentioned in legend of Mahabharat. It is said that during the period of incognito exile of the Pandavas, they spent some time in this area. It is said that the place Maniharan, now called Manihari gets its name from the story that Lord Krishna had lost his Mani here. Raja Virat of Morang is also said to have visited the place. Katihar was under the Angas and later under the Magadha kings during the time of Mahajanpadas. In course of time, Katihar was ruled by the kings of Pal dynasty. During the medieval period, the Khiljis subjugated the area and Katihar subsequently came under the rule of the Mughals. At that time, the region east of Mahananda river was constituted as Sarkar Tajpur, and the region east of Mahananda river was named Sarkar Purnea. The district passed into the hands of the English in 1770 from the control of Mohammad Ali Khan, the Governor of Purnea. In 1872, the district was transferred from the control of Bihar and Banaras Board of Commissioners to the Calcutta Board of Revenue. The early years of British rule were largely directed to establishing law and order and setting up of the revenue administration on sound footing. During the British period, Katihar was under the local Maharajas, Zamindaars and Nawabs who functioned as agents of the British control the farmers, labour classes, etc. Some landlords of this area owned large stretches of estates in Katihar and Purnea. The benevolent landlords donated lands for schools, colleges, temples and markets. Before the trifurcation of Bihar, Bengal and Orissa, Katihar was also the part of Bengal province. After the partition of Bengal, Katihar district became part of Bihar Suba. Hence, a mingling of Bengali and Bihari culture can be seen in this area. During the freedom movement, the people of Katihar actively participated in the freedom struggle. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND After the partition of India, many wealthy Muslims either migrated to West Pakistan, now Pakistan or to East Pakistan, now Bangladesh. Of the Hindus from Bangladesh who migrated to India, many choose to settle in Katihar. India provided Bangladeshi refugees with land in Katihar for settling. Migrant population has contributed significantly to the culture of Katihar. For the refugee from Burma, India built a colony in Tingachhia near Purana Jute Mill, which is now known as Burma colony. Katihar was once the part of undivided Bengal province, hence there are many original Bengali inhabitants in Katihar. There is a sizeable population of Marwari and Sindhi community also who are the driving force behind the economy of Katihar. Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Guru of Sikh, while returning from Assam passed through this place and many locals embraced Sikhism. In village Laksmipur near Karha Gola, there is a sizeable population of Sikhs and a Gurudwara. The district derives its name after its chief town of the same name which probably got its name from a village in the north-east called Dighi-Katihar where a big tank (Dighi) was excavated for the soldiers of the Nawab of Purnea who were fighting against Nawab of Murshidabad. Katihar has a rich heritage and close linkages with the parent district of Purnea. Katihar is the gateway to Chooch Behar, Guwahati and North East India. It is also the starting point of North East Frontier Railway. ADMINISTRATIVE Katihar town is the administrative headquarters of Katihar district. Katihar district comprises of 3 sub-divisions, namely Barsoi, Katihar and Manihari which is divided into 16 blocks. o Amdabad o Hasanganj o Pranpur o Azamnagar o Kadwa o Sameli o Balrampur o Katihar o Barari o Korha o Barsoi o Kursela o Dandkora o Manihari o Falka o Mansahi Total no. of Panchayats in Katihar district: 224. Total no. of revenue villages in Katihar district: 1250. ECONOMIC PROFILE The major source of living is agriculture. The main crops are paddy, wheat, maize and pulses and cash crops like banana, sun- flower seed, jute, Makhana, etc. Korha is the main centre of jute industry in Bihar which attracts workers from all over Bihar, UP, Jharkhand and Nepal in search of job. Trading in grains and cloth is common. There are two jute mills- Purana Mill and Naya Mill, flour mills and match factory in Katihar district. There are units producing agricultural equipments in Tingachhiya. Katihar has agro- based units namely rice industry and Makhana Phodi. The cloth market is very vibrant and caters to nearby districts and the bordering States of Nepal and Bangladesh. There are also some old cycle trading companies with huge turnover. Per Capita Gross State and District Domestic Product 13404 15000 11311 11815 10237 10731 9832 9606 8208 8452 8995 10000 5000 0 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 Per Capita Gross District Domestic Product Per Capita Gross State Domestic Product Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Govt. of Bihar GEOGRAPHIC Coordinates Latitude: 25º42' to 26º22‘ North Longitude: 87º10‘ to 88º05‘ East Temperature 29.86°C (avg. in summer) 16.39°C (avg. in winter) Average rainfall 1032 mm Area 3056 sq. km Height above sea level 31 meters Source: MSME – DI Muzaffarpur, official website of district DEMOGRAPHIC Population 3,068,149 Population density 1004 per sq. km Population growth 28.23% Sex ratio 916 per 1000 male Literacy rate 53.56% Languages spoken Angika, Surjapuri, Maithili, Hindi, Marwari, Polia, Bangla, Urdu INDUSTRIAL Registered industrial units 1187 Registered medium & large units 06 No. of industrial areas 01 Types of industries Agro based, jute & jute based, wood & wooden based furniture, metal based, electrical machinery, repairing & servicing, engineering services, ready made garments based, chemical/ chemical based, etc. Source: MSME – DI Muzaffarpur, official website of district INVESTMENT There is high potential for agro -based industries in the district. Katihar has a rich agricultural hinterland where banana, Makhana, paddy, wheat, sunflower, jute, maize and pulses, etc., are grown in plenty. There is a famous cloth market in the district and its scale of operation can be further enhanced and improved by improving the basic infrastructure and facilities in the market area. Investment (Rs. Lakh) 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 Source: MSME – DI Muzaffarpur INDUSTRIAL PROFILE There is an industrial area present in the Katihar district There are jute mills, flour mills, biscuit and paper mills, match factories, etc. However, presently only one paper mill and a few very small industries are surviving The industry here, is mainly agro based. The Makhana Phodi business is growing fast. The cloth markets dealing in cotton and sarees is very vibrant and caters to nearby districts and the bordering countries of Nepal and Bangladesh. There are also a couple of old cycle trading companies with huge turnover. Pharmaceutical business is also pretty good with huge turnover INDUSTRIES AT A GLANCE Registered industrial units 1187 Total industrial units 1193 Registered medium & large units 06 Estimated avg. no. of daily workers employed in 10 small scale industries Employment in large and 500 medium industries No. of industrial areas 01 MAJOR INDUSTRIAL AREA An industrial area is situated in Katihar which is developed on 14.29 hectares of land No. of plots allotted for the area: 37 No. of units produced from the industrial area situated at Katihar: 20 EXISTING MICRO & SMALL ENTERPRISES AND ARTISAN UNITS Type of industry No. of Units Investment (Rs. Lakh) Agro based 475 2627.98 Jute & jute based 22 457.58 Ready-made garments & embroidery 22 40.46 Wood/wooden based furniture 81 143.17 Leather based 4 2.45 Chemical/chemical based 42 122.65 Metal based (Steel Fab.) 73 132.37 Engineering units 175 245.24 Electrical machinery and transport equipment 125 175.85 Repairing & servicing 77 59.58 Others 91 62.63 Total 1187 4069.96 Source: MSME – DI Muzaffarpur INFRASTRUCTURE There is an industrial areas situated in Katihar district. Total no. of hospitals and health centers: 51 Total no. of commercial banks and financial institutions: 24 Educational institutions: No. of primary schools – 1550 No. of secondary and senior secondary schools – 18 No. of colleges – 10 AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY The land use around Katihar is mainly agricultural. The district has very rich and fertile land which is favourable for agriculture. Paddy, jute, Makhana, banana, wheat, maize and pulses are produced in Katihar. Makhana Processing Industry Katihar, Korah, Manihari, Kadwa, Dhandkorah, Barari and Pranpur are the major clusters identified in the district. These clusters are fast emerging as important locations for Makhana production and trade. Approximately 4000 farm families are involved in Makhana sector in the clusters . Other Industries Katihar also has a couple of old cycle trading companies with huge turnover Jute Mill RBHM Jute factory, Gaushala Road Katihar Jute Mills Medium scale enterprises Vishnu Flour Mill Mansa Jute Mill Sun Bio Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd. Pawan Putra Twine Mill LARGE SCALE INDUSTRY/ PUBLIC SECTOR UNDERTAKING RBHM Jute factory Gaushala Road, Katihar Katihar Jute Mills POTENTIAL INDUSTRY Micro & Small Major Clusters Service Enterprises Enterprise •Agro based products •Makhana cluster •Gate, Grill & Gen. Engg. •Jute based products •Agarbatti sticks fabrication •Brass & bell metal •Computer repairs & products sevicing •Jute products •Mobile repair & servicing •Gen.