War of words between BJP and Congress over special category status for Jharkhand

RANCHI: A war of words broke out between the Congress and BJP today, who held each other responsible over Centre turning down Jharkhand's request for a special category state status and for the under development of the state.

"BJP ruled the state government for about eight years, but it failed to spend even its own budget and had surrendered Central funds almost every year. And now they are demanding special package for Jharkhand," Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) general secretary Sailesh Sinha alleged here.

"Had they shaped their developmental plans judiciously ever since Jharkhand was created over 12 years ago and spent Central funds every year constructively, that would have given them reason to demand for a special package," argued Sinha.

Trashing Sinha's contention, BJP's vice president Deepak Prakash said Jharkhand deserves special category state status as major minerals are under the Central government and "only 17 per cent irrigated" land is there and "78 per cent of the population" depend on agriculture.

"The people of Jharkhand breath polluted air due to mining activities of several mineral resources, they travel on pot-holed roads due to plying of heavy vehicles and don't get adequate revenues as the headquarters of major public and private industries are stationed in metros - which calls for the special category state status," Prakash contended.

Reacting to Union Planning Minister Rajeev Shukla informing the Rajya Sabha yesterday that Jharkhand did not qualify under the criteria for a special category state, Prakash asked why Union Rural Development minister Jairam Ramesh did not pitch for the special package as "per his wish at Digha in January this year."