Nitish Kumar's JD(U) passes resolution demanding special status for Bihar

New Delhi: The Indian Express reported that the national executive of the ruling JD(U) in Bihar passed a resolution on Saturday demanding either a special category status or a special package for the state.

The meeting also appointed Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Jha, a party member, as the working president of JD(U). Further, the party demanded strict laws to act against exam paper leaks. According to the resolution, strong action must be taken against those responsible for the NEET-UG paper leak. JD(U) national spokesperson KC Tyagi said that in the meeting, Nitish Kumar stated that he will always remain with the NDA and never go anywhere else.

Since Nitish Kumar-led JD(U) became a part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) this year, the demand for a “special category” is alive. The party had always demanded the same too before that.

There are many benefits if a state is classified as a special category, and the biggest among them is that 90 per cent of funds under centrally sponsored schemes were contributed by the Centre, with only 10 per cent being the state contribution. This is when the split is normally 60:40, with the Centre contributing just 60 per cent to normal states. Normal Central Assistance from the Union government for special category states comprised 90 per cent grants and 10 per cent loans; for other states, it was 30 per cent grants and 70 per cent loans, The Indian Express reports.

The Centre had extended the special status assistance to some states over the years for a range of reasons such as historical disadvantage, difficult or hilly terrain, nature of population (low density or a large share of tribals), strategic location along the border, economic or infrastructural backwardness, etc.