In a written reply to Parliament, the Finance Ministry has ruled out a “special status” for Bihar, quoting the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) report 2012.
Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, replying to JD(U) MP Ramprit Mandal, informed the Lok Sabha on Monday, “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 conclusion that based on existing National Development Council (NDC) criteria, the case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out.”
Mr. Chaudhary said that the special category status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some States that were characterised by a number of features necessitating special consideration. These features included hilly and difficult terrain, low population density and/or sizeable share of tribal population, strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, economic and infrastructural backwardness and non-viable nature of State finances. The decision was taken based on an integrated consideration of all the factors listed above and the peculiar situation of the State.
The YSRCP and the BJD had also demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh and Odisha respectively, at an all-party meeting on Sunday.
Meanwhile, raising the temperature on the issue, in Rajya Sabha, during the Zero Hour, RJD leader Manoj K. Jha said that while JD(U) is willing to settle for a “special package”, Bihar would not agree to it.
Underlining Bihar’s economic situation, he said, while there are over 383 special economic zones in the country out of which 265 are operational, there is not a single one in Bihar. “Don’t consider Bihar only as an electoral vote bank. When Jharkhand was carved out, Bihar was left with just dust, sunlight and rain,” he said. Referring to the JD(U) as “friends who have worked with us in the past”, Mr. Jha said that they want to settle down for a “special package” if a “special status is not possible.”
“Bihar needs both special category status and special package,” Mr. Jha insisted on five special economic zones for the status. Mr. Jha said that RJD will raise this demand both in Parliament and on the streets.
