The Centre on Monday denied special category status to Bihar. Nitish Kumar-led JDU, which is a key NDA constituent days back passed a resolution seeking special category status or a special package for Bihar. While responding to a question by Ramprit Mandal, JDU MP from Jhanjharpur, Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary said such provisions were granted in past based on the integrated consideration of several factors and peculiar situation of a state.

He said Bihar does not match the criterion required to avail a special status.

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“The Special Category Status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some States that were characterized by a number of features necessitating special consideration. Earlier, the request of Bihar for Special Category Status was considered by an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) which submitted its Report on 30th March 30, 2012. The IMG came to the finding that based on existing NDC criteria, the case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out,” Chaudhary’s written reply in Lok Sabha read.

Bihar has long been demanding a special status to bring requisite infrastructural reforms. As Modi 3.0 failed to amass the majority on its own, it was believed that Nitish would make the special status pitch in exchange of his support to the BJP.

As Parliament’s Budget Session commences today, political parties, including the JD(U), YSRCP and BJD, demanded special category status for Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Bihar Denied Special Status: RJD Targets Nitish

As Bihar’s request was turned down, Opposition RJD criticised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and demanded his resignation. JDU's old ally RJD trained its guns on Nitish Kumar, who broke away from the Mahagathbandhan to rejoin the NDA alliance ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. "Nitish Kumar and JDU leaders must enjoy the fruits of power at the Centre and continue their drama politics on special status," RJD said in a post on X.

In a statement issued by RJD, party chief Lalu Prasad Yadav called for Nitish Kumar's immediate resignation for failing to fulfill his promise of securing the special status for Bihar. 

What Is Special Status?

A special status is granted to any state based on several factors. These include hilly and difficult terrain, low population density and/or sizeable share of tribal population, strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, economic and infrastructural backwardness and non-viable nature of State finances. If any state manages to fulfil the aforementioned criterion, it gets a special category status.

Under such provisions, the state receives 90 per cent of funds from the Central Government for implementing centrally sponsored schemes. In contrast, other states receive only 60 to 70 per cent of the funds.

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In 1969, several states were granted Special Category Status in India, with Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, and Assam being the first to receive this designation. Over time, eleven more states were added to this list, including Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Telangana, and Arunachal Pradesh. Notably, Telangana was granted Special Category Status after it was carved out of APrades