Nitish intensifies demand for special package for Bihar

PATNA: Ahead of the union budget for FY 2024-25, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Janata Dal (United) has intensified its demand for a special package for the state so that it could emerge as a developed state in the next five years.

Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary also met union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi and held elaborate discussions with her to find out ways to accelerate the pace of Bihar’s growth.

In the pre-budget meeting, both Sitharaman and Choudhary also deliberated upon issues like providing funds to Bihar for its speedy growth. Choudhary also holds the finance department.

On the other hand, deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha contended that the Centre would provide all possible help to Bihar for its speedy growth. “We are hopeful of getting full support from the Centre on development issues,” he told the media.

The JD(U)’s support to the Narendra Modi government at the centre is important for its stability and the former is likely to extract the maximum possible financial package from the Centre. With the special assistance from the Centre, Nitish wants to implement various people-oriented schemes with accelerated pace before the state assembly election due next year, remarked political analyst Pramod Kumar.

The Centre is expected to give something substantial to the state in the union budget but if it did not happen, it could even cast shadow on the relationship between BJP and JD(U), he added.

JD(U) in its national executive meeting held on June 29 had unanimously passed a resolution, stating that Bihar would be put on high growth trajectory if it was accorded special category status.

At that time, RJD had launched a blistering attack on JD (U), accusing it of climbing down from its earlier demand of special status to Bihar. Newly appointed JD(U) general secretary Manish Verma had said his party would persuade Centre to grant special status.