JD(U) Steps Up Pressure for Special State Tag

New Delhi:  Ahead of the Union Budget, NDA ally JD(U) has begun to mount pressure on the Centre over the grant of “special category” status for Bihar. On Monday, Bihar government ministers claimed that the latest report of the Niti Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index 2023-24 vindicated the state’s long-standing demand for greater Central financial assistance.

The SDG India Index 2023-24 released by the Niti Aayog on July 12 puts Bihar at the bottom in the assessment of sustainable development. The Opposition, particularly the RJD and the Congress, have begun targeting chief minister Nitish Kumar over the issue. Former Speaker and Congress leader Meira Kumar hit out at Mr Kumar and the Centre for the delay in granting such a status. Bihar’s water resources minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary pointed out that the latest Niti Aayog report has “vindicated our long-standing demand for special category status (SCS) or a special package for Bihar”.

Mr Chaudhary pointed out Bihar was the most deserving state that needs special financial assistance from the Centre. “The economy of Bihar is one of the fastest-growing in India. Bihar has not only grown consistently but also outperformed even the most developed states. We also need a special package for the overall development of the state,” Mr Chaudhary, who earlier held the finance portfolio in the Nitish Kumar government, said.

Mr Chaudhary noted that the Bihar government has been demanding SCS for the state since 2011-12. Before that, a resolution in this regard was passed by both Houses of the Bihar legislature saying that the state needs a special package/special assistance for its overall growth.

The Niti Aayog had earlier admitted that Bihar made tremendous progress across multiple sectors in the last decade, but owing to its weak base in the past, the state may take some more time to catch up with others and reach the optimum growth in all aspects.

Echoing a similar view, senior JD(U) leader and Bihar rural development minister Shrawan Kumar said: “I must say that now the Central government should announce a special package or special status to Bihar without any delay. The NDA government in the state, under the leadership of chief minister Nitish Kumar, is committed to the overall development of Bihar.”

Criticising chief minister Nitish Kumar, former Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar had said it was sad that the JD-U has to plead with its allies even for its rights.

She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have given special state status to Bihar as soon as he formed the new government at the Centre.

Reacting sharply to the Niti Aayog’s latest report, RJD Bihar unit spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwary said: “The latest report of the Niti Aayog has exposed the NDA government’s tall claims about Bihar. This shows Bihar is not on the priority list of the double-engine government. It is quite ridiculous that Bihar’s progress starts from the bottom.”

The SDG India Index computes goal-wise scores on the 16 SDGs for each state and UT. Overall state and UT scores or composite scores are generated from the goal-wise scores to measure the aggregate performance of the sub-national unit based on its performance across the 16 SDGs. These scores range between 0-100, and if a state/UT achieves a score of 100, it signifies it has achieved the targets. The higher the score of a state/UT, the greater the distance covered to the target.