PATNA: Chief minister (CM) Nitish Kumar has again raised the demand for special category status and special assistance to Bihar to take at the state at par with development states of the country.In a three page letter to PM Narendra Modi , which was handed over to him by Nitish on Saturday but made public on Sunday, the CM said even after achieving double digit growth rate in past several years Bihar is still behind the national average on major developmental parameters such poverty line, per capita income, industrialisation, and social and physical infrastructure.“A new policy framework is needed to uplift Bihar from backwardness and bringing it to the national mainstream,” he said adding “Special category status would ensure further growth because of greater availability of resources due to increased central share in the centrally sponsored schemes and incentivise private investors.”He even mentions in the letter state government has raised this issue through numerous letters and also placed it in the meetings of the NITI Aayog and Inter State Council in the past.The CM even pointed out that special category status would give concessions in direct and indirect taxes, thus generating greater employment opportunities for the people of the state.