Janata Dal (United), a key NDA ally with 12 Lok Sabha MPs, has been demanding special status to Bihar.

The Narendra Modi-led NDA government on Monday said that the special status to Bihar cannot be granted as per the Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) report 2012, dealing a big blow to Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal (U) which is a key ally of the BJP.

In a written reply to Jhanjharpur Lok Sabha MP Ramprit Mandal, Union minister of state for finance Pankaj Chaudhary stated,”The Special Category Status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some States that were characterised by a number of features necessitating special consideration. These features included (i) hilly and difficult terrain, (ii) low population density and/or sizeable share of tribal population, (iii) strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, (iv) economic and infrastructural backwardness and (v) non-viable nature of State finances.”

“The decision was taken based on an integrated consideration of all the factors listed above and the peculiar situation of the State. Earlier, the request of Bihar for Special Category Status was considered by an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) which submitted its Report on 30th March 2012. The IMG came to the finding that based on existing NDC criteria, the case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out,” the minister added.

A file photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar(PTI file)

The BJP bagged 240 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, less than the majority mark of 272. It is dependent on support from JD(U) and Telugu Desam Party, who together account for 28 members in the lower house.

Besides JD(U), Chandrababu Naidu-led TDP has also demanded a special status for Andhra Pradesh, which was bifurcated in 2014 and a new state of Telangana was carved out.