Request of Bihar for Special Category Status is under consideration

New Delhi: The request of Bihar for Special Category Status is under consideration. In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Planning, Statistics and Programme Implementation and Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh said that another request has been received from the Government of Bihar recently for grant of Special Category Status to Bihar.  

He said earlier, an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) came to a finding that the case of Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out based on the existing NDC criteria. He said Special Category Status for plan assistance has been granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some States that are characterized by a number of features necessitating special consideration. 

These features include: (i) hilly and difficult terrain, (ii) low population density and / or sizeable share of tribal population, (iii) strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, (iv) economic and infrastructural backwardness and (v) non-viable nature of state finances. 

Courtesy: Orissa Diary