The Centre has dismissed the possibility of awarding special category status to Bihar, a key demand of its ally, the Janata Dal (United). This decision has led to criticism from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, targeting JDU leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
In response to Bihar’s Jhanjharpur JDU MP Ramprit Mandal, who questioned whether the government intended to grant special status to Bihar and other backward states to spur economic growth and industrialisation, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary replied, “The case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out.”
“The Special Category Status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council or NDC to some States that were characterised 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 reply stated.
“Earlier, 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,” it added.
Special status provides increased central support to a backward State, aiming to accelerate its development. Although the Constitution does not explicitly grant special status to any State, it was established based on the recommendations of the Fifth Finance Commission in 1969. States that have been awarded this status include Jammu and Kashmir (now a Union Territory), various Northeastern States, and hill States like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha asserted the party’s persistent demand for Bihar’s special status, stating, “Bihar should get the status of a special state; this has been the demand of our party since the beginning. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has held big rallies for this demand. If the government feels that there is a problem in doing this, then we have demanded a special package for Bihar.”
With the Centre’s refusal to grant special status, Bihar’s main Opposition RJD hit out at the JDU, which rules the State in alliance with the BJP. “Nitish Kumar and JDU leaders must enjoy the fruits of power at the Centre and continue their drama politics on special status,” the RJD said in a post on X.
