Opposition parties on Friday disrupted Rajya Sabha demanding a special economic package for seven most backward states including Bihar, Odisha and Uttar Pradesh, leading to an adjournment of the House till noon.
Raising the issue, Kiranmay Nanda (SP) said the Central government had failed to provide financial package to the seven most backward states identified in the Raghuram Rajan report.
The Rajan panel had in September 2013 recommended a new index of backwardness to determine which states need special assistance. The new methodology ranked Odisha as India’s most backward state. Bihar, which has been seeking special status, was ranked the second most backward state. Other states listed in the category for whom it recommended allocation of majority of Central fund, included Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Mr Nanda wanted the government to act on the recommendation of the Rajan panel report and announce special economic package for the most backward states. Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad (BJP) said Finance Minister P Chidambaram had on a visit to Patna assured Bihar of special assistance but the same has not come. He charged the Centre with discriminating against Bihar and other backward states.
Ms Mayawati (BSP) said she was hoping the Prime Minister would announce a package for seven most backward states along with package for Seemandhra. “State creation does not help unless special package is given,” she said citing poor growth rate in recently created states of Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand.
She alleged that the Centre was politicising the issue and ignoring Uttar Pradesh as neither Congress nor BJP was in power in the state.
