NEW DELHI: As politics heats up over Bihar’s demand for special category status by the Centre, senior JD(U) leader KC Tyagi said that the state government is expecting greater financial assistance for it in the upcoming Budget as it figures among the poorest states in the country.
The latest report of NITI Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals India Index 2023-24 has prompted several ministers in the state government to reiterate the state’s long-standing demand for greater central financial assistance.
Speaking to this newspaper, Tyagi pointed out that the state is in dire need of central funds to build infrastructure and even the state BJP also endorsed the demand.
“The special status has been a long standing demand of all parties and the people of Bihar. However, NITI Aayog and 14th Finance Commission were not in favour of granting it to the state. It is not pressure tactics. It is the need of the hour. We want to have airports, medical colleges, highways and power plants. These are our expectations from our government,” said Tyagi.
In NITI Aayog’s report, Bihar has figured at the bottom, despite improvements on some parameters. Under the special category status, states will get preferential treatment and 90% of funds under centrally sponsored schemes is contributed by the Centre. The states are required to contribute just 10%. However, the Modi government had cited the 14th Finance Commission’s report to rule out special category status for any more states.
“Why would any industry come to the state if there is no incentive or initiative? The state is reeling under unemployment, poverty and people are migrating to other cities for jobs. Bihar will never become a developed state without central packages,” he said.
The JD(U)’s national executive has recently passed a resolution demanding either a special category status or a special package for Bihar. About the response from the Centre on the resolution, Tyagi said, “I am not aware of the Union government’s response on this. But the BJP in Bihar has supported it. We are continuously advocating the case of the special status of the state,” he said.