The Union government has ruled out special category status to states for now.

“However, there is no proposal under consideration of the central government for grant of special category status,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Monday.

She disclosed that the Union government has received requests in this regard from Odisha, Rajasthan, Bihar, Telangana, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.

This status for plan assistance has been granted in the past by the National Development Council (NDC) to some states that are characterised by a number of features necessitating special consideration, she said.

These features include hilly and difficult terrain, low population density, sizeable share of tribal population, strategic location along borders with neighbouring countries, economic and infrastructural backwardness, non-viable nature of state finances. Special Category Status for plan assistance to any state has been granted based on an integrated consideration of these criteria, she said.