Patna: In a major pre-poll announcement, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has declared that all eligible domestic consumers in the state will receive up to 125 units of electricity free of cost each month, starting from August 1, 2025. The initiative is expected to benefit approximately 1.67 crore households across the state.

The announcement, made by Kumar on the social media platform X, is part of a broader push to improve energy access and reduce the financial burden on families, particularly those in rural and low-income brackets.

“We have been providing electricity to everyone at affordable rates from the very beginning,” Kumar stated. “From the July bill itself, all domestic consumers in the state will not have to pay any money for electricity up to 125 units. This will benefit a total of 1 crore 67 lakh families in the state.”

Solar power push: Rooftop installations planned

In addition to the free electricity scheme, the Chief Minister unveiled an ambitious solar power plan. Over the next three years, the state government aims to install solar power plants either on the rooftops of homes or in nearby public spaces, with the consent of domestic consumers.

The plan is designed to boost Bihar’s renewable energy capacity and ensure sustainable energy access for the long term. Kumar estimated that the state could generate up to 10,000 megawatts of solar power within the next three years.

Support for the poor under the Kutir Jyoti scheme

For the economically weaker sections, particularly extremely poor families, the government has committed to fully covering the cost of installation. Other households will receive financial support under the Kutir Jyoti scheme, which promotes rural electrification.

This means domestic consumers will no longer have to bear any cost for electricity up to 125 units, and at the same time, it is estimated that within the next three years, up to 10,000 megawatts of solar energy will be available in the state,' Kumar's post read.

Bihar Assembly election:

The announcement comes just months before the Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled for later this year, and is seen as part of a series of welfare measures intended to boost public support. A day before the electricity announcement, Kumar had directed the Education Department to expedite teacher recruitment in government schools and reaffirmed the 35% women’s reservation policy for teaching jobs in the state, applicable only to residents of Bihar.

ANI inputs