JD-U demands special status for Bihar, stages walk out in LS

JD-U today raised the issue of according special status to Bihar and accused the Centre of dilly dallying with the recommendations of a high-level government panel in this regard.
Rajiv Ranjan Lalan (JD-U) said the Centre is not giving backward state status to Bihar because of political reasons.
"Because of political reasons Finance Ministry deferred a meeting scheduled on November 26 to discuss the grant of backward state status to Bihar as per the recommendations of the Raghuram Rajan Committee," he said.
The Rajan panel report put Bihar as the second least developed state in the country.
JD-U members, who were shouting slogans in the Well demanding special status for the state, staged a walkout immediately after Lalan finished speaking on the issue.

Earlier in the day, the government came under attack from both JD-U and BJP in Lok Sabha over delay in granting special status to Bihar, with JD-U members storming the Well.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, Shahnawaz Hussain (BJP) said Bihar has been "cheated" by the UPA government and "great injustice" is being done by the Centre by delaying the decision to grant special status to the state.
"There is no IIT in Bihar, no IIM, no National Law University and even the Nalanda University has not been developed fully," he said.
He said a committee headed by Raghuram Rajan had recommended granting special status to Bihar but the Central government has not yet implemented the recommendation.

Taking a dig at the government for not granting the special status, he said when Narendra Modi becomes Prime Minister, it would be done.
This evoked sharp reaction from RJD member Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Congress member Sanjay Nirupam and others.
Strongly supporting the demand for special status to Bihar, Sharad Yadav (JD-U) said it is a "just demand" of the 10 crore people of Bihar and there should not be any delay.
Yadav said 1.5 crore people have sent representation to the President supporting special status to Bihar and several rallies were held in Delhi to press for the demand.

"The Finance Minister must tell us why the decision has been delayed," he said.
Soon JD-U members stormed the Well shouting slogans.
Hussain also demanded development of Vikramshila and Bhagalpur in Bihar.