| Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Parliament of India | |
| |
| Citation | [1] |
| Enacted by | Parliament of India |
| Status: In force | |
Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000 was a law passed by the parliament of India in 2000. Loksabha and Rajya sabha passed the bill on 2 and 11 August respectively and on 15 November 2000, which enabled creation of Jharkhand State out of Bihar. [2] [3] [4] The law was introduced by the NDA government headed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to fulfil an election promise. [5] [6]
This act has been the subject of criticism from various political leaders. Former Bihar Chief Minister, Lalu Prasad Yadav, opposed the bifurcation, stating that the division of the state would weaken Bihar economically and socially, and was reported as saying that Jharkhand would be created "over his dead body". [7] [8] [9] His successor, Rabri Devi, later demanded a special economic package and special status for the truncated Bihar, arguing that the state had been left disadvantaged after losing its mineral-rich southern districts. [10]
Other leaders from Bihar, including Nitish Kumar, supported the creation of Jharkhand in principle but criticised the Centre for not compensating Bihar adequately. Kumar repeatedly pressed for Special Category Status, contending that the bifurcation left Bihar without its industrial base and limited resources. [11] [12] [13]
Within the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Sushil Kumar Modi drew attention to unresolved provisions of the Act, pointing out that Jharkhand owed Bihar more than ₹5,000 crore in pension liabilities under the settlement clauses, highlighting the financial disputes that followed reorganisation. [14]
On the Jharkhand side, Arjun Munda, a former Chief Minister of Jharkhand, described the Act as biased in the division of assets and liabilities, arguing that the Centre’s handling of the reorganisation created prolonged disputes between the two states. [15]
The Bihar Reorganisation Act, 2000 came into effect on 15 November 2000, leading to the creation of the state of Jharkhand from eighteen districts of southern Bihar, including Ranchi, Dhanbad, Bokaro, Jamshedpur (East Singhbhum), Hazaribagh and Dumka. [16]
The Act introduced a number of institutional and administrative changes:
Legislature and Executive - Jharkhand received its own Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha) and Council of Ministers headed by a Chief Minister, along with a separate Governor appointed by the President of India. Representation of both Bihar and Jharkhand in the Lok Sabha (Lower house) and Rajya Sabha (Upper House) was redistributed. [16] [17]
Judiciary - A separate High Court for Jharkhand was established at Ranchi. Until the court came into operation, the jurisdiction of the Patna High Court extended over Jharkhand. [18] [19]
Public services – State government employees were allocated between Bihar and Jharkhand. Separate public service commissions were constituted like Jharkhand Public Service Commission and the All India Services cadres were reorganised into the Bihar cadre and the Jharkhand cadre. [20]
Corporations and institutions - Assets and liabilities of corporations, boards and state enterprises, including the Bihar State Electricity Board and transport corporations, were divided between the two states, that resulted the creation of Jharkhand State Electricity Board. Certain bodies such as the Damodar Valley Corporation continued to operate as inter-state.
Finances - The Act provided for division of revenues, debts, and pension liabilities between Bihar and Jharkhand.
Law and order - A separate Jharkhand Police force was created and the offices of Advocate General and related judicial bodies were established for the new state. [21]
| Entity | Undivided Bihar (before 2000) | New | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bihar | Jharkhand | ||
| Rajya Sabha Seats | 22 | 16 (list) | 6 (list) |
| Lok Sabha Seats | 54 | 40 (list) | 14 (list) |
| Legislative Assembly constituencies | 324 | 243 (list) | 81 (list) |
In addition, the Jharkhand High Court was set up under the 2000 Act.