Panel to assess backwardness of states soon: FM

Patna (PTI): Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Saturday said that a high level sub-committee would be formed soon to revisit criteria for deciding backwardness of a state. The sub-committee to be headed by Prime Minister's Economic Advisor Raghuram Rajan would be told to submit the report in a month' to decide which state qualifies, Chidambaram told reporters.

Asked about chance of Bihar being in the list, the Union minister said "Bihar will certainly qualify (on the new criteria of backwardness)".A Chidambaram, who in his budget speech had favoured changing criteria for deciding backwardness of a state for the purpose of giving special status, said "things are well on the move." Chief minister Nitish Kumar, who was present, and his party JD(U) has been demanding special category status for Bihar to spur its development process. The JD(U) has organised two big rallies, one in Patna (in November 2012) and another at Ramlila maidan Delhi in March last, in support of the demand. The CM, who has been pressing for special status as Bihar lags behind the national average on all important indices, has said it will be a major issue during the 2014 general elections. He has also said that his party support for formation of a government at the centre after 2014 polls would depend on its view on giving special status to Bihar. Planning minister Rajeev Shukla had in April told Parliament that the requests of Bihar, Odisha and Rajasthan for special category status were under examination with the Planning Commission. Chidambaram was on a day-long visit of Bihar to attend a meeting on Nalanda International University and another of State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) at Rajgir, around 100 km from the state capital. The Union Finance Minister said he was briefed about progress of setting up of the Nalanda International University, near the ancient Nalanda university site in Nalanda district.