Question : DEMAND FOR SPECIAL STATUS

(a) whether the Government has fixed any parameters to grant special status to the States;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether several State Governments including Uttar Pradesh have demanded special status for the development of their respective States;

(d) if so, the details thereof along with the reaction of the Government thereto;

(e) whether the Government proposes to provide special financial assistance to the said States; and

(f) if so, the details thereof, State-wise and the time by which the financial assistance is likely to be provided by the Government to these States?

MINISTER OF STATE FOR PLANNING, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. ASHWANI KUMAR)

(a) & (b): The Special Category Status is granted only by the National Development Council (NDC) after integrated consideration of several criteria which include the following:


(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.

States under this category have a low resource base and are not in a position to mobilize resources for their developmental needs even though the per capita income of some of these states is relatively high. Moreover, a number of these states were constituted out of former small Union Territories or districts of some other states, necessarily involving creation of overheads and administrative infrastructure that was out of proportion to their resource base.

(c) & (d): The State Governments of Goa, Odisha, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand have demanded Special Category Status. In case of Goa, it has not been found feasible to accept this demand. The demands of other States are under examination in the Planning Commission.

(e) & (f) : Plan assistance is provided to States through the Central Assistance for State Plan and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS). In case of Bihar, the Union Government also provides assistance for Special Plan for Bihar under the State component of the Backward Regions Grant Fund. An amount of Rs.8495.08 crore has been released for Special Plan for Bihar upto 31.03.2012. In case of Odisha, funds are provided under Special Plan for KBK districts and an amount of Rs.1850 crore has been released up to 31.3.2012.