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Nitish Kumar to Lobby for Bihar's 'Special Status'

  •   Tue, Nov 06 2012 01:58:53 PM

Patna, Nov 6 (IANS): Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to lobby with chief ministers of other states, to urge the centre to grant special status to Bihar and some other states that lag behind in development and growth, an official said Tuesday.

Nitish Kumar is set to visit Pakistan this month. The efforts to gain special status will be intensified on his return from Pakistan, the official said.

Two days after Nitish Kumar demanded special status for Bihar and other states that lag behind the national average for human development and economic growth, he asked some top officials to prepare a detailed report on the subject, before he approached chief ministers of other states, an official said.

"The central government should accord a special status to Bihar and other states which are lagging behind the national average on growth indicators, to ensure their rapid development," Nitish Kumar said while addressing the "Adhikar" rally here last Sunday.

Nitish Kumar pointed out that special status should extend to states that are not necessarily hill states. The centre should revise the criterion set for offering such status to states, he said.

According to experts, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are among nine states whose per capita net domestic product (at 2004-05 prices) is below the national average. The national average is Rs.38,005. However, of these nine, some states such as Jammu and Kashmir already have special status.

"Bihar's per capita income, investment and consumption of electricity are among the lowest in the country. It lags behind in all human resource indices. To achieve the national average of economic growth, Bihar must be accorded special category status," Nitish Kumar said.

"Bihar's 10.5 crore people, especially youths, are not ready to wait for 25 years to see change," he said, "We will fight for it."

Nitish Kumar is heading a delegation of ministers and officials to Pakistan Nov 9-16, at the invitation of some provincial chief ministers there, officials said.

In August, a Pakistani delegation, during a visit to Bihar, extended an invitation to Nitish Kumar on behalf of Pakistani Punjab's Chief Minister Mohammad Shahwaz Sharif, brother of former Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif, to visit the neighbouring country.
  

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Comment on this article

  • ravi, bihar/bangalore

    Tue, Nov 06 2012

    though the responsibility of state,s progress lies primarily with the state Govt. but centre is big daddy and can not scape the blame for the backwardness of a state, whether because of geographical challenge or political challenge.In case of Bihar congress is equally responsible for the sorry state of affairs because it was them who partnered the Lalu,s corrupt govt. in bihar.
    My earnest request to the center is to perform its constitutional duty of finding way to help states Govt. reduce the disparity between rich and poor states.
    Granting special status to Bihar is one such steps which can be considered until it achieves the required result in lifting the living standard of the people of state to a level comparable to that of the other developed states.
    that is the RajDharam of the Center Govt.
    Nitish is right in putting the demand as right of the states in the view that Bihar has been deprived of central establishment and institution for decades.During earlier days other states kept getting central institution like power projects, Dams, University, PSU and Bihar kept quite showing its large heartedness. But this is high time for Bihari people to rise and ask its rightful share of things.

    DisAgree Agree [1] Reply Report Abuse


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