PATNA: In a major announcement ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday declared that all domestic consumers in the state will receive free electricity for up to 125 units per month, starting August 1, 2025 (applicable from the July billing cycle).
Taking to his official 'X' account, Nitish Kumar said, “We have been providing electricity to everyone at affordable rates from the very beginning. Now, we have decided that from August 1, 2025, all domestic consumers in the state will not have to pay any charges for electricity consumption up to 125 units.
This decision will benefit a total of 1.67 crore families in the state.”
He further added that in the next three years, with the consent of these households, solar power plants will be installed either on their rooftops or nearby public spaces.
“Under the Kutir Jyoti Scheme, for extremely poor families, the state government will bear the entire cost of installing solar power systems. For the rest, the government will provide appropriate support. This means domestic consumers will not only get 125 units of free electricity, but within the next three years, Bihar is expected to generate up to 10,000 megawatts of solar energy,” he added.
Welcoming the announcement, JD(U) MLC and chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said, “Nitish’s decision to provide free electricity is a historic and welcome step.
We purchase electricity at the highest rates but still provide subsidies to consumers. Dalits, minorities, and those struggling with daily challenges will benefit the most. This move will mark another milestone in Bihar’s social transformation under Nitish's leadership.”
Taking a dig at the opposition, he added, “The RJD, which wanted to light lanterns in people’s homes, has now suffered a political shock of 33,000 volts.”
Nitish Kumar’s latest announcement follows closely on the heels of his earlier promise to provide one crore government jobs and boost employment opportunities for the youth over the next five years.
The Bihar Cabinet approved the plan in its recent meeting and has already given the go-ahead to form the Bihar Youth Commission to oversee its implementation.
In another key decision, the NDA government approved 35% reservation for women in government jobs under the new domicile policy, ensuring that only women with Bihar domicile status are eligible for this reservation. This will also apply to teacher appointments under the TRE-04 recruitment drive.
State Education Minister Sunil Kumar confirmed that the law department’s opinion has been sought regarding the implementation, and the Chief Minister has directed the education department to expedite the recruitment process.
In contrast, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, Leader of the Opposition, had promised free electricity up to 200 units and ₹2,500 per month for women under the ‘Mai Bahin Samman Yojana’ if the RJD came to power.