Special status can enable Bihar to contribute to national growth

Manjhi also said that he had urged the Centre to release Rs 1,000 cr that the state govt had incurred for repair and upgrading of 2,400-km national highway in Bihar

Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi today said he has urged the Narendra Modi government to accord special status to Bihar to enable the state to contribute to national growth.

"During my meeting with the Prime Minister, I emphasised on grant of special status to Bihar as this state can contribute to national growth only if it develops," he told reporters at the airport on return from Delhi.

Manjhi said that he had apprised Modi about the backwardness of Bihar to the extent that it has been ranked second from below among the least-developed states, having the lowest per capita income and least per capita expenditure in sectors like education, health, socio-economic services, among others.

The chief minister said he also apprised the prime minister about delay in execution of rail-cum-road bridges on the river Ganga at Digha, Patna-Hajipur, Mokama and Munger and urged Modi to get Rs 523 crore released to Bihar from the Road and Surface Transport ministry so that the under-construction projects could be completed by 2014.

Manjhi also said that he had urged the Centre to release Rs 1,000 crore that the state government had incurred for repair and upgrading of 2,400-km national highway in Bihar.

Manjhi said he also drew attention of Modi to inadequate infrastructure in Bihar and urged him to continue funds to his state under the Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF) in the 12th plan as well.

Stating that he had appealed to the prime minister for all help for development of Bihar, Manjhi said, as he came from a backward socio-economic background, his own reputation and that of his community would be at stake if he failed to take forward the developmental process. Manjhi met Modi yesterday during which the issue of special category status to the state figured prominently.