Why Bihar not given special status yet, Jairam asks PM | Patna News – Times of India
Patna: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rajgir to inaugurate the new campus of Nalanda University, the Congress on Wednesday attacked him and asked why Bihar has not been granted special category status as promised by him.
“As the Pradhan Mantri visits Bihar to inaugurate Nalanda University, some questions from the (election) campaign that we hope he answers now — Why hasn’t Bihar been granted special category status as the PM had promised?” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
“In 2014, while campaigning for his current position, Mr Modi effectively promised special category status for Bihar. As per the Centre’s own Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report, Bihar ranks as the poorest state in the country, and 52% of the state’s population lacks access to requisite health, education, and living standards,” he pointed out.
“In 2013, the Raghuram Rajan Committee recommended a new methodology for devolving funds that is based on a multi-dimensional index to account for a state’s economic backwardness,” Ramesh pointed out.
“Ten years later, what is the government waiting for? After 10 years in power at the Centre and almost 20 years in power in Bihar, why has the government failed to deliver special category status to Bihar,” the Congress leader posted on X.
Ramesh also asked why the Patna University has been denied the status of a central university? “In 2017, Modi denied CM Nitish Kumar’s request to give Patna University the status of a central university. This has been a long-standing demand of the people of Bihar because students from modest backgrounds are currently forced to leave the state for quality higher education. Many poor families are not able to afford this either. Central university status for Patna University would change the lives of thousands of students. Why, then, has the ‘non-biological’ PM so callously ignored the plight of Bihar’s youth?” Congress leader posted on X.
Ramesh also asked will the Bihta airport ever be built. “Eight years after it was approved in 2016, there is no sign that the Bihta airport, located about 30 km west of Patna, will ever be built. States like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have received plenty of airports under the UDAN scheme, but Bihar has been left behind,” he said.
“Phase-I of construction was supposed to begin in October 2017 and be completed in two years. The timeline was then revised for construction to start in 2018 and be completed by 2021. Although the state government transferred the required land to the Centre by 2018, only a boundary wall has been built till date,” Ramesh pointed out in his post.
“Can the Pradhan Mantri explain why Bihar has been neglected under the UDAN scheme? Will the Bihta airport ever be built?” he asked.
“As the Pradhan Mantri visits Bihar to inaugurate Nalanda University, some questions from the (election) campaign that we hope he answers now — Why hasn’t Bihar been granted special category status as the PM had promised?” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
“In 2014, while campaigning for his current position, Mr Modi effectively promised special category status for Bihar. As per the Centre’s own Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report, Bihar ranks as the poorest state in the country, and 52% of the state’s population lacks access to requisite health, education, and living standards,” he pointed out.
“In 2013, the Raghuram Rajan Committee recommended a new methodology for devolving funds that is based on a multi-dimensional index to account for a state’s economic backwardness,” Ramesh pointed out.
“Ten years later, what is the government waiting for? After 10 years in power at the Centre and almost 20 years in power in Bihar, why has the government failed to deliver special category status to Bihar,” the Congress leader posted on X.
Ramesh also asked why the Patna University has been denied the status of a central university? “In 2017, Modi denied CM Nitish Kumar’s request to give Patna University the status of a central university. This has been a long-standing demand of the people of Bihar because students from modest backgrounds are currently forced to leave the state for quality higher education. Many poor families are not able to afford this either. Central university status for Patna University would change the lives of thousands of students. Why, then, has the ‘non-biological’ PM so callously ignored the plight of Bihar’s youth?” Congress leader posted on X.
Ramesh also asked will the Bihta airport ever be built. “Eight years after it was approved in 2016, there is no sign that the Bihta airport, located about 30 km west of Patna, will ever be built. States like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have received plenty of airports under the UDAN scheme, but Bihar has been left behind,” he said.
“Phase-I of construction was supposed to begin in October 2017 and be completed in two years. The timeline was then revised for construction to start in 2018 and be completed by 2021. Although the state government transferred the required land to the Centre by 2018, only a boundary wall has been built till date,” Ramesh pointed out in his post.
“Can the Pradhan Mantri explain why Bihar has been neglected under the UDAN scheme? Will the Bihta airport ever be built?” he asked.
