Nitish Kumar happy over Rajeev Shukla's statement on special status

PATNA: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today expressed happiness over the Centre's assertions that request for special category status for Bihar and two other states was under examination.

"Yah khusi ki baat hai" (this is a matter of happiness), Kumar told reporters emerging from the state Assembly after filing of nominations by two JD(U) and one BJP candidates for three Legislative Council seats.

Union Planning Minister Rajeev Shukla had told Parliament yesterday that the requests of Bihar, Odisha and Rajasthan for special category status were under examination in the Planning Commission.

The minister had said the request from Jharkhand for the same has been rejected.

The Bihar Chief Minister and his party Janata Dal (United) has been demanding special category status for the state to spur its development.

The party had organised Adhikar rally at Patna as well as in Delhi recently in support of its demand.

Union Finance minister P Chidambaram had favoured changing criteria for special status to accord such privilege to a backward state like Bihar.

Kumar has been saying that the demand would be an important issue in the 2014 elections in the state. Addressing a rally at Ramleela maidan in Delhi in March, the CM had said no party interested in forming government at the centre after 2014 polls, could ignore special status for Bihar.