Bihar CM Nitish Kumar hails Union Budget, says it addressed state's concerns

We had proposed that if special status wasn't feasible for technical reasons, Bihar should receive special assistance (vishesh madat) from the Centre in another form, Nitish Kumar told reporters

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday said that the "special help" announced in the Union Budget 2024 addressed the state's concerns, which had previously led to demands for special category status, the PTI reported.

Speaking to reporters at the Vidhan Sabha premises after the Union Budget presentation by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament, Nitish Kumar, a key ally of the ruling NDA, said, "We had proposed that if special status wasn't feasible for technical reasons, Bihar should receive special assistance (vishesh madat) from the Centre in another form, which has been announced today," according to the PTI.

As per the PTI, JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar evaded a direct reply to a query as to whether he was giving up the demand for special status, and when asked if he was happy with the budget, reacted with a categorical "Haan, bhai (yes, of course).

Nitish also trained his guns at the RJD-Congress-Left combine, which had disrupted the day's proceedings over denial of special status to Bihar.

"These people who are making so much of noise should remember that when they were part of the ruling dispensation at the Centre, the state never got its due. Whatever progress you can see is a result of the state government's efforts since we assumed power in 2005. So bad was the situation until then that even in a city like Patna, people feared going out of their homes after dark", alleged Nitish Kumar, the news agency reported.

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Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president and Union minister Chirag Paswan said the budget's announcements for Bihar will help realise his vision of "Bihar first Bihari first". He rejected the opposition's criticism, saying the budget is overall inclusive and focuses on every section of society.

"It is of course a matter of happiness for me that Bihar has received special provisions," he told reporters, according to the PTI.

Meanwhile, another crucial BJP ally TDP also praised the budget's measures for Andhra Pradesh with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu saying that it will go a long way towards building the state.

(with PTI inputs)

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