Have been seeing adversaries of BJP struggling with the right question they should ask.  BJP can be trapped at its own game of   playing development card without having right commitments to back it. Unfortunately, they are not being grilled appropriately with right question.  I would touch up on certain issues expose BJPs Special Package for Bihar.  It would make every one realize that this is at best making up for under commitment by previous and current administration.

Let us consider take up the sector of National Highway where BJP is putting full page advertisement. Simplest question to be asked is, what is the size of NHAI development work in other state: in absolute terms, per lakh of population and per square km of area?    Be it Mr Nitin Gadkari, Mr Narendra Modi, or anyone else, would find it difficult to justify the underinvestment in Bihar.  In fact, to make it inflation agnostic, a proper question to ask would be to ask square Kilometer of road (length into breadth) built in Bihar since announcement of NHDP program in 1999 till the intended timeline of this package implementation.  If square kilometer of road built in Bihar is more than other states per lakh of population, I’ll say Bihar has definitely got a special package.  Otherwise, I’m afraid to say it is just making up for huge deficit a bit. This criteria should also be applied to railway sector.  Single track equivalent railway line per lakh of population in state can justify claim of special package, otherwise just making up for existing deficit. Nitish, just pick up the gauntlet thrown by Nitin Gadkari and expose this deficit. Even if he does not return to CMs chair, if would end up as the greatest champion for the cause of Bihar in recent memory.  There is a distinct possibility that with his cogent argument he can win back Bihar and put central dispensation on mat to commit more for Bihar.

Another question to ask should be why the eastern states are to receive the gas corridor in last. Was it ever called special package for states where it has already been set up. If not, then how it can be special package for Bihar.  Add a further criteria of  Kilo Meter of gas pipeline in other states set up by central government versus being now committed in Bihar in absolute terms as well as  per lakh population size and per square km of area.  Propaganda of special package can be thoroughly exposed.

BJP adversaries should go all out to expose that it is central government which has set up a limit of three cities for Bihar under smart city project, instead of nine which Bihar should ideally have got.  In fact, special package should have warranted taking up at least 12 cities of Bihar for smart city project.

Even the special package in form of civil aviation need to be exposed.  Central government has anyway invested in green field air ports in other states and need to cover Bihar to maintain parity. Central government should disclose equivalent investment made in airport projects in other states in last ten years, again in absolute terms, equivalent investment at current price per lakh of population and per square km area.

Besides, central government should also disclose investment in metro rail project in various state at current equivalent prices in absolute terms, for per lakhs of population and per square km area.

I’ll site number and size of institutes of higher education, research in various states again in absolute terms, for per lakh of population and per square kilometer area. Similarly number of PSU, PSB, Size of all central establishments and assets.

Forget about past, lets us take commitment in Industrial corridors and priority accorded to them. Consider the investment size under such industrial corridors in each state. Based on this, can Ravi Shankar Prasad, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Sushil Kumar Modi, call the proposed offering as special package for Bihar?  Can they present a comparative figure in absolute terms, per lakh of population and per square kilometer area?

Problem with Bihar is that its case is not argued well. Nitish and his in house economist Saibal Gupta is stuck in special package.  It seems they are not keeping track of changing perspectives and hence keep on loosing argument.  For example, it seems they have not appreciated the impact of 14th finance commission’s recommendation on special state status.  Not adopting to changes makes one redundant whereas badly arguing the case is sure shot recipe for losing the case altogether. Even otherwise, without right overall competitive advantages, state cannot attract any industry just based on tax incentive. Nobody will come to Bihar, if delay in project implementation and its operation were to cost many times more than the advantage accrued through tax incentive.  Hope people who matter in present day Bihar would realize this.