NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bihar to inaugurate the new campus of Nalanda University on Wednesday, the
Congress
party launched a scathing attack, questioning why the state has not been granted
special category status
as promised by him.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh raised several pointed questions in a post on X (formerly Twitter), urging the Prime Minister to address these long-standing issues.
Ramesh referred to PM Modi as the “one-third Pradhan Mantri,” implying that PM Modi has only partially fulfilled his promises to Bihar.
Special category status for Bihar
Ramesh criticized PM Modi for failing to deliver on his 2014 campaign promise to grant
Bihar special category status
. He highlighted the state’s dire economic situation, referencing the Centre’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report, which ranks Bihar as the poorest state in India, with 52% of its population lacking access to adequate health, education, and living standards.
“In 2013, the Raghuram Rajan Committee recommended a new methodology for devolving funds based on a multi-dimensional index to account for a state’s economic backwardness. Ten years later, what is the government waiting for?” Ramesh questioned.
“In 2014, when campaigning for his current position, Mr Modi effectively promised special category status for Bihar. As per the Centre’s own Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report, Bihar ranks as the poorest state in India, and 52% of the state’s population lacks access to requisite health, education, and living standards. In 2013, the Raghuram Rajan Committee recommended a new methodology for devolving funds that is based on a multi-dimensional index to account for a state’s economic backwardness.” Ramesh wrote on X.
Central university status for Patna University
Ramesh also took issue with the denial of central university status to Patna University. He recalled that in 2017, PM Modi had rejected CM Nitish Kumar’s request to upgrade the university.
“This has been a long-standing demand of the people of Bihar because students from modest backgrounds are currently forced to leave the state for quality higher education. Central university status for Patna University would change the lives of thousands of students,” Ramesh said.
“In 2017, Mr. Modi flat-out denied Nitish Kumar’s request to give Patna University Central university status. Why, then, has the non-biological Prime Minister so callously ignored the plight of Bihar’s youth?” Ramesh added.
NEET-UG 2024 paper leak
Ramesh raised concerns about the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2024 exam paper. He accused PM Modi of remaining silent on the issue despite ongoing protests by students and their families. “Among these several issues is that of the paper leak – for which an investigation is currently ongoing,” he said.
“Can the PM at least confirm or deny the leak and promise students that corrective action will be taken?” he asked.
Bihta Airport construction delays
Another major point of contention was the stalled construction of the Bihta airport. Approved in 2016, the project has seen little progress, with only a boundary wall completed to date. Ramesh noted that while states like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have benefited from the UDAN scheme with multiple new airports, Bihar has been neglected.
“Phase I of construction was supposed to begin in October 2017 and be completed in two years’ time. The timeline was revised for construction to start in 2018 and be completed by 2021. Although the state government transferred the required land to the Centre by 2018, only a boundary wall has been built till date. Can the ‘one-third’ Pradhan Mantri explain why Bihar has been neglected under the UDAN scheme? Will the Bihta airport ever be built?” Ramesh demanded.
