Bihar must get special category status to tap investment: Nitish Kumar

PATNA: Slamming arch rival and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad for saying special package was more practical than special status demand, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today said that the state must be granted special category status to tap private investment and to bridge development deficit over past six decades.

"Bihar must be accorded special category status by the Centre to enable it to tap private investment and to bridge the development deficit over the years," he told reporters.

Kumar flayed the RJD supremo for saying that the special package or financial assistance was a practical demand than special status and said that the latter has appeared to have lost wisdom during his bad times.

"Vinash kale vipreet Buddhi (amounting to desertion of wisdom during bad times)," the chief minister said in a dig at his political bete noire.

He reminded the RJD supremo that his party too was part of an unanimous resolution adopted by the state legislative to seek special category status for Bihar in 2006 and said that the latter's statement was inconsistent to his party's earlier stand on the issue.

"Either the RJD has been insincere in supporting an unanimous resolution on the special status issue or this party's top leader is being insincere to the people's aspiration for development by getting special status," Kumar said.