PATNA: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said Bihar "deserves" the special state status and iterated his demand for it.
The special status, which entitles a state to a number of central privileges, is very essential for Bihar, Kumar, who has been pressing for it for some years, said.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of his weekly outreach programme, the chief minister said that according to the Niti Aayog Bihar is a backward state.
"Despite the (Bihar) government's efforts the growth rate is not enough. Therefore we are demanding special category status to Bihar. What is wrong in it ?" he asked.
Replying to queries by scribes, Kumar claimed that the Niti Aayog has used old parameters to evaluate Bihar and its evaluation process is not justified as the state is developing in every sector each year.
"I am not bothered about those who are opposing the demand of special status to Bihar. I don't even care. We all know that the state's per capita income, human resources and standard of living are much below the national average. The density of population is high in the state. Therefore, Bihar needs special status," Kumar asserted.
Responding to a question on Bihar government's plan to conduct caste-based census in the state after the Centre's refusal to hold census of castes other than SCs and STs, Kumar said, "We will soon convene an all-party meeting on the issue and after that the exercise will be initiated in the state".
The weekly public interaction was held after a month due to the third wave of COVID in the state.
Bihar BJP President, Sanjay Jaiswal, in a recent Facebook post had countered JD(U)'s demand for the special status and alleged that the state government is not able to develop Bihar because of its failures.
The central government on the other hand is supporting the state at every step.
Bihar is an ally of Kumar's JD-U in the state.
"Maharashtra's population is only one crore more than Bihar. Yet Bihar gets Rs 31,000 crore more than Maharashtra from the central resources. Bengal is also a backward state like Bihar, but Bihar gets Rs. 21,000 crore more than that," he wrote.
BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy too took a jibe at JD(U) leaders' demand for speacial status to the state and said it was "baseless".
Downplaying the ongoing hijab (headscarf) controversy in Karnataka, Kumar said it is not an issue in his state where religious sentiments are respected.
If someone puts something on the head in a classroom, there is no need to comment on it, Kumar told reporters at a programme.
"This is not an issue in Bihar, we should not focus on such things. It's useless," he said.
The matter has gone to court, said Kumar.
"In Bihar schools, children wear almost the same type of dress. If someone puts something on the head, there is no need to comment on it. We do not interfere in such matters. We respect religious sentiments of each other," he said.
Everybody is equal for the state government, Kumar told reporters in his public outreach programme, 'Janata Ke Darbaar Mein Mukhyamantri'.
The hijab controversy broke out in Karnataka governed by the BJP, with which Kumar's Janata Dal (United) shares power in Bihar.
It started in Udupi with six women coming to the college wearing head scarves citing their faith in December end.
In reaction, a few Hindu students began turning up at the college wearing saffron scarves.
Gradually, the issue spread to other parts of the state leading to tension and violence on the campus in certain places.
Subsequently, the Karnataka government announced a three-day holiday from February 9 for high schools and pre-university colleges to avoid any further disturbances and untoward incidents on campuses.
Petitions have been filed on the issue in the Karnataka High Court which, in an interim order, requested the state government to reopen educational institutions and restrained all students from wearing saffron shawls, scarves, hijab and any religious flag within classroom.