Patna,(BiharTimes): Though the Bihar government has no district-wise data of emigrants working abroad Siwan and Gopalganj continue to hold the top two positions.

Reports said that the Siwan police verified 198,000 passports between 2007 and 2012. The figure of Gopalganj during the same period was 153,000. Travel agents estimate that the two disticts account for 70 per cent of Bihar’s total emigrants, most of them working in the Middle East.

According to Kiran Shetty, Regional Vice President & MD, South Asia, Western Union, Siwan and Gopalganj were the two top remittance earners in the state in 2015-16. This was the trend in 2014-15 as well.

Remittances in the state have been gradually increasing over the years. The maximum remittances come from Saudi Arabia, followed by UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait in 2015.

Remittances to India largely come from UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qattar, USA, UK, Canada, Singapore and Malaysia.

An official figure says Siwan-Gopalganj general post office (one zone) received 62,000 international money orders via Western Union in 2014-15.

The state came second in India in terms of foreign remittances. UP––no more Kerala––tops the list. It received a total of over Rs 1,800 crore through post offices in 2014-15.

The ministry of Overseas Affairs data showed that the number of emigrants from Bihar increased from 36,493 in 2006 to 71,438 in 2011. Uttar Pradesh saw a bigger jump, from 66,131 in 2006 to 1,55,301 in 2011.

Remittances to India increase around the month of Ramadan, Diwali and Baisakhi.

With $70.39 billion in remittances last year India holds the top position. This was followed by China, which received $64.14 billion.