Rajiv Shukla, Sachin Pilot say UPA giving all assistance to Bihar for its development

Union ministers Rajiv Shukla and Sachin Pilot on  Thursday said that the UPA government was extending all assistance to Bihar for its development.

"A special assistance of Rs 12,000 crore was given to Bihar recently," they said in support of their claim. On the question of Bihar getting the special category status, Shukla said a committee under Raghuram Rajan, Chief Economic Advisor to Union government, was deliberating on revisiting criteria for determining backwardness of a state.

"Based on the recommendations of the Committee further steps will be taken," Shukla said. Shukla landed here on Thursday morning along with Union Corporate Affairs minister Sachin Pilot en route to Maharajganj to seek votes for Congress candidate Jitendra Swami in the by-election there on June 2.