The Congress party on Monday directed pointed questions at Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding Bihar, challenging him on why the state has not been granted Special Category Status as promised and why numerous crucial projects remain unfinished.
As Modi prepared for his visit to Bihar, Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, took to social media to pose four key questions to the Prime Minister.
Ramesh questioned the unfulfilled commitments regarding airport developments in Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur, and Purnea. He reminded the public that Modi had pledged an airport in Purnea on August 18, 2015. However, despite six years and multiple political shifts by Bihar CM Nitish Kumar, the promise has yet to materialize.
Similarly, in a 2019 rally, Modi vowed to operationalize Patahi Airport in Muzaffarpur, and in 2023, Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated this pledge, stating the airport would be functional by Diwali 2023. However, according to a March 2024 report from an Airports Authority of India (AAI) ground team, the site remains in disrepair, with broken boundary walls and even buffaloes roaming the runway. Ramesh criticized the government’s decade-long inaction, labeling the BJP as the “Bharatiya Jumla Party” for its repeated unfulfilled promises on airport infrastructure.
Further, he highlighted the incomplete state of essential infrastructure projects in Bihar. In 2015, Modi announced a Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for the state, out of which Rs 54,713 crore was earmarked for road and bridge construction. However, based on information from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, 27 out of 44 proposed national highways remain incomplete, while 17 have not even progressed to the stage of detailed project reports (DPRs).
Ramesh also pointed out that no significant progress has been made toward establishing the Central University at Vikramshila in Bhagalpur, despite promises to do so. Additionally, he noted that the Buxar thermal power plant, originally approved under the UPA government in 2013, has been sidelined by the current administration.
Criticizing the Prime Minister’s approach, Ramesh questioned why Bihar has been subjected to such neglect after a decade of BJP rule at the Centre. He also brought attention to the deteriorating condition of Bhagalpur’s cultural and tourism industry. Known for its textile production, Manjusha paintings, and its historical significance as the birthplace of Lord Mahavira, Bhagalpur has seen its heritage industries suffer from government neglect. The Bhagalpur Regional Handloom Weavers Co-operative Union reported that the number of weavers in the region fell dramatically from 2 lakh in 2019 to just 60,000 by 2024, while annual business revenue plunged from Rs 600 crore in 2015 to Rs 150 crore. Rising input costs have further exacerbated their struggles, leaving workers without sufficient government support.
Ramesh then revisited the long-standing demand for Special Category Status for Bihar, emphasizing that Modi had effectively promised it during his 2014 election campaign. The Centre’s own Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report ranks Bihar as the poorest state in India, with 52% of its population lacking access to adequate healthcare, education, and basic living standards. He pointed out that in 2013, the Raghuram Rajan Committee proposed a revised methodology for fund distribution based on economic backwardness, yet the Modi administration has failed to act on these recommendations even after 11 years.
Accusing the Prime Minister of neglecting the people of Bihar, Ramesh questioned why, despite 10 years in power at the Centre and nearly 20 years of BJP influence in Bihar, Modi has failed to deliver on his promise of Special Category Status for the state.