<P> Despite the global credit crisis, automobile sales and the real - estate sector continued to grow in Bihar . Auto sales grew by 45% to 1, 33,000 in the last 11 months of 2008, against 92,147 sold in 2007 . Due to the global credit crunch, many Indian states have reported a decline of 20 - 25 percent in the automobile sales . Deputy Bihar Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said "The rise in sales figure of vehicles in the state at the rate of 45 percent shows that the recession has not affected the sector at all in the state". November 2008 reported 19,729 vehicle sales in different categories, whereas 15,326 vehicles were sold in the same period of the prior year . The revenue collection department in Bihar has registered a growth of 28.02 per cent in revenue collection until November 2008 . The department collected Rs 192.01 crore in 2008 against Rs 149.99 crore in 2007 . Also the real - estate sector earned Rs 37 crore in revenue from flat registrations in October and November 2008 alone . Altogether 3,139 flats were registered, which indicates there is good cash flow . The real estate sector has been badly hit by the global recession in other parts of India, which have compelled the builders to slash rates and offer attractive packages to push through their sales . The small industrial base, brought on by political mis - management in the 1990s, the small - scale nature of the loans sector, and that employment is generally with public sector, or semi government owned businesses, are all key factors in Bihar avoiding the recession . The service sector, which is the other large employer, is not as mature as other Indian states and caters for a large market . Modi added that the rate of real estate properties had increased tremendously since it was the middle - class population who dominated the state . Another factor was that a huge number of development projects had been launched in Bihar since the NDA government came to power in 2005, which had drawn many construction companies, builders and suppliers . In 2008 alone, the state government was investing Rs 13,500 crore (135 billion Rupees) on development projects . </P> <P> Standing crops worth Rs 800 crore were destroyed in the five northern districts of Saharsa, Supaul, Madhepura, Araria and Purnia . Three lakh hectares of cropland were submerged under flood water . Up to 3,500 people have been reported as missing </P> <P> Indian Railways Contract </P> <P> Indian Railways announced contracts to manufacture electric locomotives in Bihar . The electric locomotives will be manufactured at a factory in Madhepura and the diesel ones at Marora . Five multinational companies have been shortlisted for two separate contracts, jointly worth an estimated $8 billion (Rs37, 600 crore), to manufacture and supply locomotives for the Indian Railways . In the past, Indian Railways manufactured locomotives at the Chittaranjan Locomotive Works in West Bengal or from state - owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd, and diesel locomotives from Diesel Locomotive Works in Varanasi . These factories now have developed capacity issues . Germany's Siemens AG, Bombardier Transportation India Ltd, a unit of Canada's Bombardier Inc., and France's Alstom SA is attempting to secure an order to build and supply at least 660 electric locomotives for the railways . General Electric Co . (GE) and Electro Motive Diesel Inc . (EMD) will compete for the second contract--to build and supply 1,000 diesel train engines for the national transporter . </P>

Who has taken change as the new building construction minister of bihar