The Bihar government on Monday said it has dropped the demand for special status for the state, reported the Hindustan Times . Bihar’s Pl...
The Bihar government on Monday said it has dropped the demand for special status for the state, reported the Hindustan Times.
Bihar’s Planning Minister Bijendra Yadav said the state government was tired of asking for the status. “But now we are seeking special packages for all sectors,” he added.
The special status category is given to states that face various disadvantages, including hilly and difficult terrain, economic and infrastructural backwardness, strategic location along international borders and low population density.
It was introduced in 1969 after the central government acknowledged that several states were more disadvantaged than the others.
Bihar has been demanding special status ever since mineral-rich Jharkhand was carved out of the state in 2000, according to PTI. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had been at the forefront of demanding the category and had made it an election agenda during the state Assembly elections, including the polls held last year.
Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) is a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance, which is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP-led Centre, however, has not accorded the status to Bihar yet.
On Monday, Yadav told reporters that the state government cannot keep raising the demands indefinitely.
On the state government’s stance, the Congress said that it exposed the “duplicity” of the Janata Dal (United).
“Now it...
