'Part of NDA alliance only because of special status promise': JD(U) reminds Centre

Hours after the Centre ruled out special category status to Bihar, the Janata Dal (United) on Monday reminded the BJP-led NDA government of their "promise" of fulfilling the long-standing demand. Top JD(U) sources told India Today TV that the party is very much committed to the special category status for Bihar.

"If there is some technical issue, the government must give us a special package for the development of Bihar. We want to make it very clear that we are part of this alliance only because we have been promised special status for Bihar," JD(U) sources said.

This comes soon after Centrecited an inter-ministerial group report prepared in 2012 to assert that a case for granting special category status to Bihar was not made out. Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said the special category status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the 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 or sizeable share of the tribal population, strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, economic and infrastructural backwardness, and the 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.

"Earlier, the request of Bihar for special category status was considered by an inter-ministerial group which submitted its report on March 30, 2012. The group came to the finding that based on existing NDC criteria, the case for special category status for Bihar is not made out," the minister said.

In the all-party meeting on Sunday, the JD(U), a key member of the NDA, demanded the Centre to grant special category status to Bihar in the all-party meeting before the beginning of the Monsoon session of Parliament. The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and Rashtriya Janata Dal also raised the demand for special category status for Bihar.

JD(U) MP Devesh Chandra Thakur said that demand for special status will be there in future also. "How will the state develop and how we will get investment, these all need to be seen by the central government."

Reacting to the Centre's response on special category status, LJP (RV) MP Shambhavi Choudhary said Special Status was a term that existed until the Planning Commission. After the formation of NITI Aayog, she added, nobody was provided anything under Special Category Status but states have definitely received special packages that would speed up development. 

"We are all public representatives, we have to be the voice of the people. It is our duty to make the voice of the people reach Parliament. It is our demand and we will keep demanding it. We have a lot of hopes with the upcoming Budget. The manner in which Bihar has stood strongly with the NDA, NDA too would stand strong with Bihar in the time to come and Bihar would receive special package," she said. 

Andhra Pradesh has also been demanding special category status, citing loss after bifurcation.  

The NDA is critically dependent on support from the JDU and TDP, which together have 28 MPs (JDU-12, TDP-16). 
 
(With inputs from Piyush Mishra)