Opinion RJD’s Manoj Kumar Jha writes: Government at the Centre needs to understand Bihar, not label it

Those in power must understand that such dystopian depictions of Bihar will only invite a more hard-hearted and judgmental attitude towards the state. The poverty and backwardness in Bihar have always been attributed only to Biharis, rather than the wide array of factors that have contributed to it. No government at the Centre has ever tried to understand Bihar’s demography, geography, and social stratification. It is easier to malign the people than to acknowledge their problems.

Bihar is important in India’s fight against poverty as the country is as rich as its poorest state. Bihar has withered away to such an extent that basic services have become alien to the people and they move out with a one-way ticket in search of better education and job opportunities.

We must understand that Bihar has a very distinctive geographical location and topography, which is starkly different from other parts of India. Unlike other states, Bihar does not have major ports, natural resources or a continuous supply of water for irrigation. The northern region of the state is marked by heavy floods that regularly cause huge loss of property, lives, farmlands, and infrastructure. On the other hand, the southern region is vulnerable to severe droughts that pose a perpetual threat to Bihar’s agriculture-centred economy. Post bifurcation, when the majority of the industries shifted to Jharkhand, Bihar became one of the least industrialised states in the country.

Consequently, the dearth of investment and employment opportunities in the state has spiralled into widespread poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and criminal activities. Bihar has the maximum percentage of the population living in poverty and ranks lowest in terms of per capita income and literacy among all the states. The per capita income in Bihar is one-fifth of Kerala and two-thirds of Uttar Pradesh. The state of Bihar also has the lowest own tax revenue as a share of revenue receipts in the country.

These conditions have severely shrunk opportunities for the people of Bihar, as a consequence of which they are compelled to migrate to all corners of the country. These migrant labourers are subjected to discrimination, violence, and disdain. It is unfortunate that these people don’t have the alternative of working in their home state and have to begrudgingly look for opportunities outside of Bihar.

In light of the disadvantages faced by Bihar, the demand for special category status for Bihar has been made by the people of the state time and again. It’s beyond belief how the collective agony of the people has been overlooked for decades. In 2013, the Union government-appointed Raghuram Rajan Committee also placed Bihar in the “least developed category” and suggested a basic fixed allocation for the state but these suggestions were never adopted. Now, however, this continuing recalcitrance of the Union government has translated into a mockery of millions of those suffering in the state.

Introduced in 1969, the special category status provides central assistance to the development of those states that face geographical and socio-economic disadvantages. The state of Bihar meets the majority of the conditions laid down by the National Development Council for the special category status, such as strategic location along the international border, economic and infrastructural backwardness, and non-viable state finances. The only condition prescribed for qualifying as a special category status state that Bihar does not fulfil is the requirement of hilly terrain.

However, we need to understand that these criteria were determined in 1969 and need to be reassessed given the monumental shift in economic realities in the last five decades. It must be noted that the criterion of hilly terrain is indeed indicative of challenging conditions for governance and development of infrastructure, but does not eliminate the possibility of such challenges arising in other geographical contexts. It is a known fact that Bihar is suffering due to constant floods and droughts and such occurrences are projected to get worse in the future. Thus, other geographical factors should also be considered when granting the special category status. Moreover, the 11 states that have received the special category status have immensely benefited from central assistance and tax breaks and perform significantly better than the state of Bihar, making a stronger case for Bihar to be afforded this status as well.

The Prime Minister, while unveiling the Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for Bihar in 2015, remarked that “this package will change the face of Bihar.” Even after seven years, the assurances given in the package remain unfulfilled. A grant of Rs 600 crore that was promised under the package was never transferred to the state, the construction of the Vikramshila Central University is still incomplete, work on a parallel bridge to Mahatma Gandhi bridge and another one to Vikramshila bridge is still underway, the new airport in Patna is still under construction, and there is still no word on the establishment of a mega skill development university in Patna.

Adding to Bihar’s afflictions, the Central government has blocked funds for various centrally sponsored schemes in the aftermath of Bihar’s rejection of the BJP in August 2022. The central share under these schemes has also fallen in the past few years. Why is BJP’s idea of “cooperative federalism” only restricted to speeches? Why does it not materialise into reality on the ground?

As a matter of equity, the nation must recognise that Bihar requires special help from the Union Government. The people of Bihar are working hard to restore the state to its past glory. For the past several years, it has consistently been among the fastest-growing economies in the country, which shows our resilience in the face of adversity. A special status can materially help the state to widen its finances, which could be utilised in new and improved welfare schemes for the people. It would also help to augment private investment in the state, which would offer better job prospects for the people of Bihar.

However, as we continue to see, the Union government chooses to neglect these demands and has now gone so far as to make fun of our misery in Parliament. Despite the Prime Minister’s statement that “Bihar’s development is a top priority and India will fully develop only when the eastern part of India develops”, the Union government remains oblivious to the pain of the people. It is indeed insincere, if not completely hypocritical, of the BJP to ridicule and treat with indifference the lived realities of the people of Bihar.

The writer is a Rajya Sabha MP, RJD