Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary’s appeal to give up free electricity triggers row

Threats looming large over 125 units of free electricity given by Bihar government to the consumers after the appeal by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary to voluntarily give up the free benefits.

On Sunday (November 2, 2026), Mr. Choudhary appealed to the financially well-off and taxpayers in the State to give up free electricity for the development of the State.

The Chief Minister’s remarks has initiated that in days to come, the free electricity benefits may come to an end. Ahead of the assembly election in Bihar, the then Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on July 17, 2025 had announced to give 125 free units of electricity.

“In Bihar, everyone, from the rich to the poor, is being provided with 125 units of free electricity. The State government is spending between ₹8,000 and ₹10,000 per family annually in the form of an electricity subsidy, which makes ₹23,000 crore on electricity subsidy annually,” Mr. Choudhary said while addressing a two-day Pataliputra National Youth Parliament 2.0 in Patna.

He further said, “I will appeal to those who are well-off, affluent, or taxpayers to voluntarily forgo the benefit of the 125 units of free electricity and contribute to the development of Bihar.”

The Chief Minister also cited the example of Uttar Pradesh to prove his point and asserted that the population of the State is nearly double of Bihar, despite that the expenditure on electricity subsidies there is around ₹6,000 crores.

Free electricity is given under Mukhyamantri Vidhyut Upbhokta Sahayata Yojna (MVUSY). Not only this, under Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana, state government has transferred ₹10,000 each to the bank accounts of 1.81 crore women till February 2026, as per data available. This scheme too was launched before the assembly elections.

Bihar CM pointed out that by giving up free electricity, the funds saved can be used to strengthen the education system in Bihar. Mr. Choudhary also reminded the people of Bihar how the government is giving other benefits to the people and spending crores.

He mentioned that on the scheme, like ‘Student Credit Card’, students pursuing higher education, including in fields like medicine and engineering are provided with financial assistance of up to ₹4 lakh making it ₹18,000 crore annually.

Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Bihar Legislative Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, has been continuously criticising the Samrat Choudhary-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, claiming it is “on the verge of bankruptcy”. The RJD leader had alleged that the state is facing extreme financial loss due to scams, corruption, revenue loss, a widening fiscal deficit and mounting debt.

Mr. Yadav earlier said the treasury lacks the funds to pay employee salaries, student scholarships, pensions, and dues to farmers.

A resident of the Boring Canal Road area in Patna, Sumitesh Kumar (42), who enjoys the benefits of free electricity, said, “Only the middle class and salaried people are paying the tax. From our taxes, the government is implementing the schemes. Why should we give up the free benefits? Instead of appealing to the common man, the CM should first ask his cabinet colleagues to give up the facilities which they get as lawmakers and Ministers. Reduce the perks and dearness allowance (DA) they get in their salaries.”

Another resident of Patna, Nalin Kumar (48) said, “This not a good sign, we are worried that in days to come, the government may end the free electricity or will increase the price manifold after 125 units to compensate for the revenue losses. We are already paying GST.”

As per the Energy Department’s official data, the annual per capita consumption of electricity rose to 401 units in 2026 from 75 units in 2005, the year when the NDA government first came to power in the state. The State government provides 125 units of free electricity to its 1.92 crore domestic consumers.

The State government has also started looking for an alternative to reduce the burden by giving a pace to solarisation, and the installation of rooftop solar panels has increased four-fold within a span of eight months in the current year.

In several States, State governments have cut down the benefits of their populist schemes due to the severe financial crisis. In Maharashtra, the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (MMLBY) scheme was launched before the assembly elections, under which eligible women in the State receive ₹1,500 every month through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

At its peak, the scheme covered 2.43 crore beneficiaries. However, successive rounds of verification over the past two years have led to the removal of lakhs of beneficiaries, bringing the total down to about 1.66 crore women.

Last year, even Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu made a similar appeal and urged the affluent people to surrender 125 units of free electricity. Mr. Singh himself was the first to surrender the subsidy voluntarily to set an example.

RJD state spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed asked how the poor people who are getting free electricity have suddenly become capable now after one year and three months

“It proved that the various “free” schemes implemented by the Bihar government were merely a ploy to exploit the common people for votes. Now, the NDA and BJP-led government wants to burden the public,” Mr. Ahmed said.

Published – November 03, 2026 03:38 am IST