Jharkhand’s hopes of getting Special Status appeared to have been dashed on Thursday, after Union Planning Minister Rajeev Shukla reiterated in Rajya Sabha that “Jharkhand, Odisha and Rajasthan do not qualify based on an integrated consideration of existing criteria.”
Shukla, who had made similar statement in April, invited the wrath of the Jharkhand political fraternity. leaders cutting across party lines flayed the Union Government’s decision and said it was politically-motivated.
Interestingly, in his written reply, Shukla stated that Bihar’s request has been kept under consideration after one Inter-Ministerial Group submitted its report. A high-level committee headed by RBI Governor designate Raghuram Rajan is yet to submit its report redefining criteria for a State’s backwardness.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren told The Pioneer, “The economic condition of Jharkhand is well known to the Centre. The State fulfils parameters to get special status.”
The Chief Minister said if the Centre thought that Jharkhand could prosper on its own, “we have to change the formula through which the State gets funds from the Centre and utilises its resources.”
Former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, who had raised the demand for Special Category State status for Jharkhand for the first time at a meeting of the National Development Council (NDC) in 2011 and again in 2012, said, “They are considering Bihar, but have ignored Jharkhand. This is completely unfair and appears to be a calculated strategy of the Congress for political gains.”
“We had written to the Prime Minister in 2011, stating low human development indicators, dismal growth rate and GSDP,” he said.
“Ironically, our State is behind many others — that have acquired Special Status — on account of human development indicators. Our resources are exploited for the whole country but per capita income is calculated according to GSDP. Had it been income-based, the scenario would have been different,” he added.
Another sharp reaction came from senior BJP leader Saryu Roy, who pointed out that Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bengal shared a common legacy since the British period. “These four have huge natural resources and many other things in common. I feel MPs and CMs of all these States should jointly raise their voice against the decision,” Roy said.
Jharkhand Vikas Morcha leader Pradeep Yadav blamed it on the State rulers and said they raised the issue too late. “Those who were in the Government should have pursued it earlier. Today, we have less per capita income on the basis of actual income of individuals. The State is going through acute poverty, migration and displacement, and suffers lack of education and health facilities. We do qualify for special status. In fact, national parties, especially the Congress, have cheated the people of Jharkhand,” Yadav added.
The State Congress, on the other hand, said it was more important to utilise the existing funds allocated to the State instead of crying over split milk. “There are certain parameters for getting Special Status and Jharkhand doesn’t qualify. We are unable to spend around 60 to 70 per cent of funds allocated to us for development schemes and the amount gets surrendered every year. This should be our first priority,” maintained State Congress president Sukhdeo Bhagat.