Bihar Ministers Join Reconstituted NITI Aayog, Bolstering State’s Special Status Claim
Chirag Gupta
Patna: The central government has reconstituted the NITI Aayog, including three Bihar ministers as members. Lalan Singh, Bihar’s Panchayati Raj Minister; Jitan Ram Manjhi, Micro and Small Industries Minister; and Chirag Paswan, Food Processing Minister, have been appointed. This inclusion is seen as a significant step towards strengthening Bihar’s long-standing demand for special state status or a special package.
The new NITI Aayog team will be chaired by the Prime Minister, with Suman Bery as the vice-chairman. Full-time members include VK Saraswat, VK Paul, Arvind Virmani, and Professor Ramesh Chand. Key Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and Nirmala Sitharaman are ex-officio members, while 11 individuals, including the three Bihar ministers, have been added as invited members.
Bihar’s inclusion in the NITI Aayog has raised hopes that the state’s demand for special status will be taken more seriously. Historically, the NITI Aayog has denied this status to Bihar based on existing criteria. The state’s leaders, including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, have persistently urged a revision of these criteria.
Jitan Ram Manjhi previously expressed skepticism about the feasibility of granting special status, citing the NITI Aayog’s stance. However, the new appointments might shift this perspective, encouraging a renewed push for the state’s demands.
RJD spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed emphasized the importance of cooperative federalism, noting that the NITI Aayog’s goal is to strengthen states to build a robust nation. The real test, he stated, will be in how earnestly the Bihar ministers pursue the special status issue in forthcoming meetings.
Congress spokesperson Gyan Ranjan voiced doubts about the effectiveness of these appointments, suggesting that the central government’s intentions might not align with Bihar’s aspirations. He called on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to leverage this opportunity to secure a special package for the state.
