Centre not releasing Bihar dues, says state finance minister

Accusing the Centre of not releasing Bihar's share in central taxes and duties, state finance minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary on Friday quipped that it should remember that the Nitish Kumar-led government is seeking its dues and not asking for charity.

Choudhary, during a session in the assembly, also asserted that the state government's long-standing demand for Bihar's special category status was also fully justified.

"Bihar is neither begging for alms nor asking for any charity from the Centre. We simply want the state's justified share in central taxes and duties, running into several thousand crores of rupees. Similarly, our demand for special category status to Bihar is also justified," said Choudhary, concluding the debate on the state's annual budget (2023-24), tabled by him in the assembly on February 28.

The assembly had passed the state's annual budget of over Rs 2.61 lakh crore for 2023-24 on Friday amid a walkout staged by the opposition over the alleged use of unparliamentary words by treasury bench members against BJP legislators.

Choudhary further underlined that Bihar had been managing its finances on its own.

"Bihar is one of the fastest-growing economies in India. The state registered 10.98 per cent growth in 2021-2022, just after Andhra Pradesh (11.4 per cent) and Rajasthan (11.04 per cent). That said, we have every right to ask for the release of Bihar's justified share in the central taxes and duties," Choudhary stated.

Earlier, while participating in the budget discussion, Congress leader Shakeel Ahmad Khan had slammed the BJP-led central government for allegedly meting out step-motherly treatment to Bihar.

Opposition members had entered the well of the House and demanded that Khan's references be expunged from the proceedings. Later, BJP members staged a walkout.