FM: Committee for deciding backwardness of state soon

Asked about chance of Bihar being in the list,the finance minister said Bihar will certainly qualify on the new criteria of backwardness.

Chidambaram,who in his budget speech had favoured changing criteria for deciding backwardness of a state for the purpose of giving special status,said things are well on the move.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar,who was present,and his party JDU has been demanding special category status for Bihar to spur its development process.

JDU has organised two big rallies,one in Patna in November 2012 and another at Ramlila maidan Delhi in March last,in support of the demand.

The CM,who has been pressing for special status as Bihar lags behind the national average on all important indices,has said it will be a major issue during the 2014 general elections.

He has also said that his party support for formation of a government at the centre after 2014 polls would depend on its view on giving special status to Bihar.

Planning minister Rajeev Shukla had in April told Parliament that the requests of Bihar,Odisha and Rajasthan for special category status were under examination with the Planning Commission.

Meanwhile,Chidambaram said that a CBI inquiry into the chit fund scam in West Bengal depends on the decision of the Calcutta High Court.

The CBI has told the Calcutta High Court that it can probe the chit fund scam if the HC entrusts it the task, Chidambaram told reporters here.

It all depends on the decision of the Calcutta High Court, he added.