‘Case For Special Status For Bihar Is Not Made Out’: Amid RJD’s Attack, JDU Hopes For Budget Bonanza For State

The Centre has told the Lok Sabha that special status cannot be granted to Bihar at the moment.

In response to a question asked by Janata Dal United (JDU) Member of Parliament (MP) Ramprit Mandal, MoS Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said, “…The request of Bihar for Special Category Status was considered by an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG), which submitted its report on March 30, 2012. The IMG came to the finding that based on existing NDC criteria, the case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out.”

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The answer immediately led the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to up the ante against JDU chief Nitish Kumar. RJD’s Lalu Prasad Yadav called for resignation of Bihar Chief Minister Kumar, whose party has repeatedly spoken about the need for special status for the state.

“Nitish Kumar had promised the people of Bihar that he will get special status for the state. Now he should resign after this answer from the Centre. Whatever the Centre might say, we will take special status at all cost,” Yadav said.

The RJD, on its social media handle, took a sarcastic dig at Nitish: “Nitish Kumar should continue to enjoy the fruits of being in alliance at the Centre and practise his hypocritical politics of special status.”

The Centre has, in the past, also said that the nomenclature of special status no longer exists. On Monday, MoS Finance gave the reasoning for such a position. “The special category status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some States that were characterized by a number of features necessitating special consideration. These features included (i) hilly and difficult terrain, (ii) low population density and/or sizeable share of tribal population, (iii) strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, (iv) economic and infrastructural backwardness and (v) non-viable nature of State finances. The decision was taken based on an integrated consideration of all the factors listed above and the peculiar situation of the State,” Choudhary said.

JDU spokesperson K C Tyagi said his party was committed to getting a special status or special package for Bihar. “We said this at the all-party meeting also. We are hopeful for a special financial package, at least four more AIIMS and employment opportunities.”

Tyagi said the JDU would be keenly looking at Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s budget speech on Tuesday to see what is on offer for the people of Bihar. Sources indicated that even if the special status is not given and a financial package is announced for Bihar, the JDU will be satisfied.