Bihar is leading from the front in the present race for the category of special status. three other states which compete with Bihar for this have got their application rejected.The Union Minister of state for Planing Ashwini Kumar said that requests for special category status have been received from State Governments of Odisha, Rajathan, Goa and Bihar. It is however not feasible to accede the requests of Odisha, Goa and Rajasthan.
It is clear that days are not far when Bihar would be given special category status.
1. A special category state gets preferential treatment in federal assistance and tax breaks.
2. The special-category states gets concession in excise duty which accelerates industrial revolution in the state.
3. 30% of the Centre’s gross budgetary support for Plan expenditure goes to special-category states.
4. For centrally sponsored development scheme, a special category state gets 90% of the fund as grants while 10 percent as loans, while a general category state gets only 70 % as grants while the rest is given as loans
The biggest advantage among all this is the boost of industrial activities in the state which would bring more job opportunities, better life style, eradication of poverty and the menace of getting tortured by the goons of Raj Thackeray would be eliminated.