Nitish Kumar slams his Dy CM for opposing special status

Patna, Dec 13 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said that the Deputy Chief Minister of his government has no knowledge about the state's long standing special status demand for Bihar.

Nitish Kumar reacted after Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister Renu Devi on Saturday said that there is no need to give Bihar a special status. Reacting to Niti Aayog's report, Renu Devi said: "Whatever development work is taking place in Bihar is due to the financial help of the Centre. The construction of six to eight lane roads is taking place in Bihar under National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), colleges, hospitals are being built due to funds given by the central government and it is more than the funds allocated to a special status state."

Nitish Kumar has said that it is extremely important for Bihar to get special status. "If anyone is saying against the special status, he/she doesn't understand its meaning. If anyone doesn't have knowledge about it, he/she should avoid giving statement in public. If anyone is demanding special status for his/her state, it doesn't mean he is against any political party or the government. Demanding the same is in the interest of their own state," Kumar said without taking the name of Renu Devi.

"Whatever the Centre is giving to Bihar is inadequate. We need additional financial assistance," he said. "The report of Niti Aayog is clearly saying that Bihar is at the bottom of the pyramid of development. Hence, the Centre should give special status to Bihar so that it would achieve national average of development," Kumar said.