Janata Dal-United(JD-U) leaders are eagerly looking up to recommendations of the panel fixing the criteria to determine the backwardness of states, which they believe would favour Bihar and grant it the special status.
Report of the panel, headed by the government’s chief economic adviser, is expected to be submitted this month.
“(The report) would impact our relationship with the Congress a great deal, since Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar is galvanising people on the issue and transforming it into a movement. We hope Congress would respond positively. Otherwise, we may have to take on the ruling party,” a JD-U senior party functionary told Deccan Herald.
Besides the chief economic adviser, the panel also consists of Saibal Gupta, Bharat Ramaswami, Najeeb Jung, Nirija G Jayal and Tuhin Pandey. Gupta is an economist from Bihar and a vociferous supporter of the state getting special status.
The committee was formed after announcement by Finance minister P Chidambaram to constitute the panel to revisit the criteria for backwardness under Backward Region Grant Fund (BRGF).
Published 06 July 2013, 19:43 IST