Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi today said the Centre has not rejected their demand for a central university status to Patna University and may consider the matter at an appropriate time.
He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of his weekly Janata Darbar at his official residence 1, Polo Road here.
"We have been making this demand for quite some time now. The central government may consider it (granting central university status to PU) at an appropriate time," Sushil Modi said.
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He asserted that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had already spoken on the issue at his Lok Samvad programme yesterday and there was no need for any further discussion on the matter.
"There are already four central universities in Bihar - one each at Gaya, Motihari, Rajgir and Samastipur," the deputy CM said, adding that Vikramshila University, proposed near Bhagalpur, would also get a central status. "I don't think any other state can boast of these many central universities except Uttar Pradesh, which is a bigger state (than Bihar)," the deputy CM said.
The chief minister had said yesterday that his duty was to raise demand for central university status to century-old Patna University (PU) "again and again" whether the Centre accepts it or not.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had side-stepped the CM's request for central status to the university during his visit here on Saturday. The PM had said he wanted PU to be ahead of central universities.
In reply to a query on the new tax regime, Sushil Modi said the GST council in its recent meeting had constituted a committee to review the tax rate on goods, especially the ones that could be brought under the 18 per cent slab from 28 per cent.
He also said that he had directed the Bihar Industries Association and Bihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries to hand him over a list of goods that were taxed under the 28 per cent slab at present but attracted lesser cess before GST.
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