Prime Minister Narendra Modi government has ruled out ally CM Nitish Kumar’s demand of Special Category Status for Bihar. On the eve of the Budget 2024, the government cited an inter-ministerial group report prepared in 2012 to assert that a case for granting special category status to Bihar is not made out.
The Narendra Modi government’s stand which came a day after BJP’s allies from Bihar demanded the status for the backward state. Notably, Janata Dal (United) is an NDA ally of BJP in the Centre.
In written reply in the Lok Sabha on the first day of the Monsoon session Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said “the case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out”.
“Earlier, the request of Bihar for Special Category Status was considered by an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) which submitted its Report on 30th March 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,” the minister said.
Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) shared the official statement on microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) to take a swipe at the NDA ally.
“Bihar ko nahin milega Vishesh rajya ka darja (Bihar will not get special state status!)” the tweet by the RJD read. “Nitish Kumar and JDU can now comfortably enjoy power at the Centre and continue doing hypocritical politics on ‘special state status’!” the tweet added.
“बिहार को नहीं मिलेगा विशेष राज्य का दर्जा!”
– संसद में मोदी सरकार।नीतीश कुमार और JDU वाले अब आराम से केंद्र में सत्ता का रसास्वादन करते हुए ‘विशेष राज्य के दर्जे’ पर ढोंग की राजनीति करते रहें! pic.twitter.com/lpd8oIKEda
— Rashtriya Janata Dal (@RJDforIndia) July 22, 2024
NDA ally Lok Janshakti Party (RV) MP Shambhavi Choudhary said, “Special Status was a term that existed until the Planning Commission. After the formation of NITI Aayog, nobody was provided anything under Special Category Status but states have definitely received special package that would speed up development.”
“It is our demand and we will keep demanding it. We have a lot of hopes with the upcoming Budget…The manner in which Bihar has stood strongly with the NDA, NDA too would stand strong with Bihar in the time to come and Bihar would receive special package….”, Shambhavi Choudhary added.
What is Special Category Status for states in India?
Special Category Status has been granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some states which were characterised by a number of features necessitating special consideration.
-Hilly and difficult terrain
-Low population density
-Sizeable share of tribal population
-Strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries
-Economic and infrastructural backwardness
-Non-viable nature of state finances
