Firm Stand : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Sticks To His Special Category Status Demand For Bihar ; Review Agniveer Scheme

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U), which the BJP relies on heavily since losing majority in the Lok Sabha, has reiterated its demand for special category status (SCS) for the state.

Granting SCS to Bihar has been a long-pending demand of the JD(U) supremo. The Bihar cabinet, headed by Kumar, had even passed a resolution last year requesting the Centre to grant SCS to the state.

The Centre had previously said it would not entertain demands for “special category status” from any state, in view of the 14th Finance Commission’s recommendation. The SCS was introduced in 1969 to benefit certain backward states with hilly terrains, strategic international borders, and economic and infrastructural backwardness.

Bharatiya Janata Party ally Janata Dal-United leader KC Tyagi said his party has demanded for a review of the Agnipath scheme and will “pursue” the caste census issue which, he asserted, was a need of the time.

“There is anger among voters on the (short-term army recruitment) Agniveer scheme. Our party wants those shortcomings to be removed, on which people have objections,” Tyagi told reporters according to PTI