"I was initially opposed to the bifurcation of Bihar not only due to long association of the people of the two states, but also for economic losses to Bihar after carving out of Jharkhand," he said at function here.
Kumar said he withdrew his opposition after the NDA government made a provision in the Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000, to create a cell in the Planning Commission to provide special assistance to Bihar to compensate it for losses arising out of creation of Jharkhand.
Jharkhand has always been a lucrative place in view of abundance of natural resources which fostered economic activities and industrialisation, besides development of infrastructure, educational institutions and related sectors, he said.
"I still maintain that the bifurcation of the state was a little too premature," Kumar said.
Even the state government in the erstwhile united Bihar heavily invested in Jharkhand districts and gave further impetus to development there which attracted people from the state and elsewhere in the country to seek job and prosperity there, he added.