Shruti Sneha, Pune
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration denied Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s plea on Monday, July 22, for Bihar to be given Special Category Status. The government cited a 2012 inter ministerial group report on the eve of the 2024 Budget to make the case that Bihar does not qualify for Special Category Status.
Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary wrote a reply to Lok Sabha in which he said that “the case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out”.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), led by Lalu Prasad Yadav, criticized the NDA ally in an official statement on X, formerly Twitter. “Vishesh rajya ka darja nahin milega Bihar ko!” (Bihar will not get special state status!). Now that they are in a position of power at the center, Nitish Kumar and the JDU can continue their hypocritical politics based on their “special state status.”
National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ally Lok Janshakti Party MP Shambhavi Choudhary stated, “Special Status was a term that existed prior to the Planning Commission. Nobody was given anything under Special Category Status after the formation of NITI Aayog, but states did receive special packages to help them develop faster.”
“We have made this demand and we will keep making it. We are very hopeful about the next budget. Bihar has stood firm with the NDA, and the NDA will stand firm with Bihar in the future and Bihar will receive a special package, added Shambhavi Choudhary.”
Factors which determine Indian states are granted Special Category Status. Why isn’t Bihar granted this status?
The National Development Council (NDC) has previously granted special category status to some states characterized by features necessitating special consideration, such as hilly and difficult terrain, low population density, a significant percentage of the population is tribal, the area is strategically located near borders with other nations, and the infrastructure and economy are underdeveloped.
In 2012, during the Congress-led UPA administration, a proposal to grant Bihar Special Category Status was introduced in Parliament. However, the state led by Nitish Kumar did not meet the criteria for Special Category Status.
The government previously argued that the 14th Finance Commission report had ruled out the possibility of any additional states being granted the status, which includes tax breaks and increased central funding for the beneficiary states.