Sullia MLA Angara tests positive for covid-19

New Delhi: The Centre has ruled out any plan to give a special category status to Bihar, a core demand by its key ally, the Janata Dal (United), prompting the Rashtriya Janata Dal to take a swipe at JDU leader and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.  

Ramprit Mandal, JDU MP from Bihar's Jhanjharpur, had asked the Finance Ministry if the government has a plan to provide special status to Bihar and other most backward states to promote economic growth and industrialisation.

In a written response, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said "case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out".

"The Special Category Status for plan assistance was granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some States that were characterized by a number of features necessitating special consideration. These features included (i) hilly and difficult terrain, (ii) low population density and/or sizeable share of tribal population, (iii) strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, (iv) economic and infrastructural backwardness and (v) non-viable nature of State finances," the reply stated. "Earlier, the request of Bihar for Special Category Status was considered by an Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) which submitted its Report on 30th March, 2012. The IMG came to the finding that based on existing NDC criteria, the case for Special Category Status for Bihar is not made out," it added.

A special status ensures more central support to a backward state to expedite its growth. While the Constitution does not provide for a special status for any state, it was introduced on the recommendations of the Fifth Finance Commission in 1969. Among the states that have received a special status so far are Jammu and Kashmir (now a Union Territory), Noreastern states and hill states such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

A state with a special category status gets more funding support from the Central in the Union government's schemes and several concessions in taxes.

A special status for Bihar has been a longstanding demand of the JDU. With the BJP falling short of a majority in this election and tying up with JDU, TDP and other parties to cobble up the magic figure, the Nitish Kumar-led party was expected to push hard for its core demand. The JDU also raised this demand at an all-party meeting before the budget session.

JDU MP Sanjay Kumar Jha said the demand for a special state status for Bihar has been a priority for the JDU. "Bihar should get the status of a special state, this has been the demand of our party since the beginning. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has held big rallies for this demand. If the government feels that there is a problem in doing this, then we have demanded a special package for Bihar," he said, according to a PTI report.

With the Centre making it clear that it has no plan to grant a special status, Bihar's main Opposition RJD has hit out at the JDU, which is ruling the state in alliance with BJP. "Nitish Kumar and JDU leaders must enjoy the fruits of power at the Centre and continue their drama politics on special status," the RJD said in a post on X.

A source in the government said that the Special Category Status issue was first addressed in the National Development Council meeting in 1969. "During this meeting, the D R Gadgil Committee introduced a formula to allocate Central Assistance for state plans in India. Prior to this, there was no specific formula for fund distribution to States, and grants were given on a scheme basis. The Gadgil Formula, approved by the NDC, prioritized special category States such as Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, and Nagaland, ensuring their needs were addressed first from the pool of Central assistance."

The Special Category status concept was introduced by the 5th Finance Commission in 1969 recognising historical disadvantages of certain regions, the source said.

"Until the 2014-2015 fiscal year, the 11 States with Special Category Status benefited from various advantages and incentives. However, following the dissolution of the Planning Commission and the formation of the NITI Aayog in 2014, the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission were implemented, leading to the discontinuation of Gadgil Formula-based grants. Instead, the devolution from the divisible pool to all States was increased from 32% to 42%," the source added.

Currently, no additional States are being granted Special Category Status, as the Constitution does not provide for such categorisation, said the source in the government.

Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, has been killed in an attack in the Iranian capital Tehran.

The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) announced in a statement on Wednesday morning that Haniyeh and one of his bodyguards were killed when their residence was hit in Tehran.

The assassination saw a projectile hitting a residence allocated to war veterans in the Iranian capital at 02:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday (2230 GMT on Tuesday).

The IRGC statement said the attack is under investigation and the results will be announced later in the day.

The Palestinian resistance leader was in Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Iranian president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian. 

Who was Ismail Haniyeh?

Haniyeh was born at Gaza’s al-Shati refugee camp in 1962. 

He joined Palestinians’ First Intifada (Uprising) against the occupying entity in 1987, upon graduation from the Islamic University in Gaza.

The anti-occupation activism prompted Israeli officials to jail him for a short period that year. 

He was imprisoned again for six month in 1988.

A year later, the Israeli authorities put him behind bars for three years on charges of belonging to Hamas. 

Haniyeh spent a year in exile in Lebanon following release, but returned to Gaza afterwards.

In the 1990s, he climbed the ranks within the movement as a close aide and assistant of Hamas’ co-founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.

In 2000s, Haniyeh consolidated his position as one of Hamas’ political leaders. The decade also witnessed him and Yasin escaping an Israeli assassination attempt.

Fronting Hamas, he reversed the Fatah movement’s drawn-out reign in 2006, when the resistance group scored a landslide victory in the Palestinian legislative elections.

Haniyeh then served as the Palestinian Authority’s prime minister until 2014, when he was dismissed by PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

He replaced Khaled Mashaal as Hamas’ politburo chief on May 6, 2017.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has warned the Israeli regime of a "harsh response" for the assassination of Hamas's Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh, saying it is the Islamic Republic's duty to avenge the blood of the Palestinian resistance leader.

Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks on Wednesday, hours after Haniyeh, who had traveled to Tehran to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president, was killed in a dawn attack in the capital.

“The criminal and terrorist Zionist regime martyred our dear guest in our homeland and left us bereaved, but it also set the ground for a harsh punishment for itself,” the Leader said.

Ayatollah Khamenei commended Haniyeh’s years-long sacrifices in his fight against the Israeli occupation and said he was ready for martyrdom and sacrificed his children and households on this path. 

“He was not afraid of embracing martyrdom in the way of God and saving God's servants, but we consider it our duty to avenge his blood in this bitter and horrific incident that came to pass in the Islamic Republic's territory," the Leader asserted.