Political controversy over special state status.
Headlines
- Politics on special state status has once again intensified, RJD has put pressure on Nitish
- RJD demands that Bihar should get special state status and special economic package
- The criteria for granting special status to a region has been set by the Central Government.
What is Special Category Status: After special announcements for Bihar and Andhra Pradesh in Budget 2024, the ‘special state status’ to the states has come into the limelight. Politics has also started on this. The opposition claims that the government has given gifts to Bihar and Andhra Pradesh while non-BJP ruled states have been discriminated against, there has been negligence in budget allocation for them. Opposition MPs protested in Parliament on Wednesday, alleging ‘injustice’ in the budget. Especially, the war of words continues between the ruling party and the opposition regarding the status of special state. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has taunted Nitish Kumar for not getting the status of special state to Bihar. RJD says that it will continue its fight from Parliament to the road to get special state status and special economic package to Bihar.
Bihar-Andhra Pradesh got a special gift in the budget
For years, there has been a demand to give Bihar the status of a special state. JD-U chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar has also demanded special status for the state several times. Since the Modi government at the center is dependent on the support of JD-U and Chandrababu Naidu’s TDP to remain in power, it is believed that these two leaders have an opportunity to get the demand for special state status fulfilled. However, in the budget presented on July 23, special care has been taken of both the states. Andhra Pradesh has got a gift of Rs 15 thousand crores and Bihar has got a gift of Rs 60 thousand crores.
What is special state status?
The category of special state is for those regions and parts of the country which are backward due to their geographical structure and other reasons and are lagging behind other states in terms of development. To connect the state with the mainstream of development and to develop the region, the central government gives them special financial package and tax benefits. The status of special state was introduced for the first time in 1969 on the recommendations of the Fifth Finance Commission.
What is the criteria for getting special state status?
The central government has set some rules, conditions and eligibility to give special economic package or special state status to any region or state. According to this, the state or region should be hilly and inaccessible. The population density in the state should be very low or the number of tribal community should be quite high there. The state or part should be adjacent to the border of neighboring countries and should be strategically important. The state should be economically backward and its infrastructure should be very weak. The state should not be able to manage its finances.
These states have got the status of special state
In 1969, for the first time, three states Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Nagaland were given special status. After this, eight other states were placed in the category of special states. Among these eight states, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand were given special state status. During the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh, Telangana was given special state status in the year 2014. Telangana was made a separate state by reorganizing Andhra Pradesh.
What do you get under special state status?
The states which are given special status by the Centre, get financial help, tax exemption and many other concessions and facilities from the Centre on priority basis. To implement any scheme of the Centre, the states with special status have to spend only 10% of their funds, the remaining 90% is spent by the Central Government. The Centre releases 60 to 70% funds to the remaining states for implementing the scheme. Not only this, if the normal states are unable to use the funds released by the Centre for the scheme, then that amount becomes ineffective, whereas this fund is used further in the states with special status. Not only this, to attract investments in the states with special status, they are given tax exemption. Apart from this, when the Centre releases budget for the states, they are given priority in that too.
Which states are demanding special state status
At present, there are many states which are demanding special state status. Bihar is at the forefront of these. This demand has intensified since Jharkhand became a separate state in the year 2000. Bihar leaders say that the mineral wealth of the state has gone to Jharkhand, due to which the state’s revenue has been badly affected. Since Bihar is a backward state, it needs special status. Leaders of Andhra Pradesh also demand special status for the state. Apart from these, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha also demand special state status.