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 grants 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
-Sizeable share of tribal population
-Strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries
-Economic and infrastructural backwardness
-Non-viable nature of state finances
There are 11 States at present which have been granted Special Category Status – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Uttarakhand.
Why Modi govt rejected Special Category Status for Bihar?
In 2012, when the Congress-led UPA was in power, a proposal to grant Bihar Special Category Status was flowm in the Parliament. However, it was found that the Nitish Kumar-led state did not satisfy the criterion for being granted a Special Category Status.
The government has in the past also argued that the 14th Finance Commission report has ruled out the possibility of any more states being granted the status, which includes tax relief and higher central funding for the beneficiary states.