Patna, June 28: Chief minister Nitish Kumar today revived the demand for special category status to Bihar amid opinion gaining ground that the Centre could have been more “generous” to the state following the support extended by the JD(U) to Pranab Mukherjee for the presidential elections.

“Special category status alone would ensure tax holidays, big investments and fast growth, bridging the gap between the developed and backward states,” Nitish said on his return from New Delhi, a day after the Planning Commission approved the state’s annual plan of Rs 28,000 crore.

In keeping with Nitish’s latest efforts to stretch his reach beyond Bihar, the chief minister also batted for other states that have a similar demand. “States fulfilling the criteria for special category status should be accorded it. It is essential for ensuring inclusive growth and removing regional imbalance,” he said.

The chief minister’s demand coincided with his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi’s assertion that had the Centre so wished, it could have granted special status to Bihar.

“If the Centre had been actually liberal, it would have accorded Bihar special status,” said Modi. He pointed out that though the Planning Commission had approved a plan size of Rs 28,000 for the financial year 2012-13, central assistance to Bihar had actually been cut by over Rs 80 crore.

The plan size of the state for the current fiscal had already been approved by the Bihar cabinet and the legislative bodies. The plan size approved has Rs 1,300 crore as central assistance. The Planning Commission has brought this down to Rs 1219.43 crore. Also, special assistance to Bihar has been reduced from Rs 6,031 crore to Rs 5,954 crore. “We will actually have to meet around 75 per cent of the plan size from our own resources,” conceded an official.

Official sources, who did not wish to be named, said Nitish’s only success had been to convince the Planning Commission to extend the special grant given under the Bihar Reorganization Bill, 2000, to the 12th five-year plan.

In 2000, when Jharkhand was carved out, a special cell was created in the Planning Commission for Bihar to recommend special grants and funds. Bihar should have drawn Rs 10,000 crore from this fund, but has actually managed only Rs 8,000 crore.

Nitish has demanded that under this fund, Bihar should be given an assistance of Rs 4,000 crore per year for the next five years. “However, the commission has not committed itself to paying Rs 20,000 crore in the next five years. They said they would look into the proposals,” said an official.