Patna: Senior JD(U) leader and state’s water resources minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary on Monday said that the latest report of NITI Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) India Index 2023-24 justifies the govt’s demand of special category status (SCS) or special financial package for the state.
The NITI Aayog recently released its SDG India Index 2023-24. Bihar figures at the bottom, despite showing improvements on certain parameters, in the SDG Index India that assesses sustainable development.

Commenting on the latest SDG India Index, Choudhary told TOI, “The Bihar government is utilizing its resources in the best possible way. It’s pace of development is better than many other states. Bihar has been on the top in many parameters for the past several years. Still, we are the poorest state. It means the reason lies deeper. … This is the reason that we have been asking for special category status or special package for Bihar. In fact, the latest report of the NITI Aayog has justified our long-standing demand for the special category status.”
He also pointed out that even the Centre, on several occasions, has recognized that Bihar has been utilizing its resources in the best possible way. “The NITI Aayog, too, had earlier admitted that Bihar showed remarkable performance on many parameters, but owing to its weak economic base in the previous decades, the state may take some more time to stand in the category of developed states,” said Choudhary, who was the state’s finance minister in the previous Grand Alliance government in the state.
The water resources minister further said that Bihar is the most deserving state to get the special category status. If the Centre grants the SCS to Bihar, it would ensure progress at faster pace, ahead of many other states.
“Our party JD(U) and the state government has been demanding the SCS for the last many years. Now the latest SDG India Index 2023-24 has fully justified our demand of special category status (SCS) or special financial package,” he said, adding that a resolution in this regard was passed by both houses of the state legislature in the past.
“Bihar needs special attention from the Centre. It may be granted special category status, or special package or greater financial assistance. Whatever format it may be, the Centre must pay heed to our demand,” the minister said.

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