15th Finance Commission ''will sympathetically consider demands of Bihar''

Chairman of the 15th Finance Commission N.K. Singh on Monday assured to consider sympathetically demands of Bihar after state Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Choudhary raised the issue of injustice to Bihar by the NITI Ayog.

"Finance Commission will consider sympathetically demands of Bihar," Singh, who is heading the five-member 15th Finance Commission team visiting Bihar, said at a seminar on addressing the problems of inter-state and inter-district disparity of India organised by Patna-based think-tank Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI) here.

Responding to another issue raised by Choudhary, Singh admitted that Bihar has been facing several problems including floods that hit millions of people annually. Choudhary has also demanded special category status for Bihar, saying it is a must for the development of state. He said the NITI Ayog has neglected the interests of Bihar.

Demand of special category status for Bihar is an old demand of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The Finance Commission team arrived here on Sunday on a four-day visit to the state for deliberations regarding the distribution of tax proceeds. The Commission will hold talks with representatives of local bodies and leaders of various political parties.

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The Finance Commission team will also meet the Chief Minister.