Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary’s call to give up free electricity sparks row
Threats are looming over the 125 units of free electricity that the Bihar government has provided to consumers following Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary’s appeal to voluntarily give up the free benefits.
On Sunday (November 2, 2026), Mr. Choudhary appealed to the financially well off and tax payers in the state to give up free electricity for the development of the state.
The Chief Minister’s remarks initiated that the benefits of free electricity may come to an end in the coming days. Ahead of the Bihar assembly elections, the then Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced on 17 July 2025 that he would provide 125 units of free electricity.
“In Bihar, everyone, from rich to poor, is provided 125 units of free electricity. The state government spends between ₹ 8,000 and ₹ 10,000 per family per year in electricity subsidy, which amounts to ₹ 23,000 crore annually in electricity subsidy,” Mr Choudhary said in two days in the Patnathali National Parliament.
He further said, “I will appeal to those who are wealthy, wealthy or tax payers to voluntarily give up the benefit of 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, claiming that the state’s population is almost double that of Bihar, despite the electricity subsidy expenditure being around ₹6,000 crore.
Free electricity is provided under Mukhyamantri Vidhyut Upbhokta Sahayata Yojna (MVUSY). Not only this, under the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana, the state government has transferred ₹10,000 each to the bank accounts of 1.81 crore women by February 2026, according to available data. This program was also launched before the parliamentary elections.
The 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 extra benefits to the people and spending millions.
He mentioned that under a scheme like ‘Student Credit Card’, financial assistance of up to ₹4,000 is provided to students pursuing higher education, including fields like medicine and engineering, which amounts to ₹18,000 crore annually.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Bihar Legislative Assembly Tejashwi Yadav has been constantly criticizing the Samrat Choudhary-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, saying it is “on the verge of bankruptcy”. The RJD leader claimed that the state was facing extreme financial loss due to fraud, corruption, loss of revenue, widening fiscal deficit and mounting debt.
Mr. Yadav had earlier said that the exchequer lacked funds to pay employees’ salaries, student scholarships, pensions and allowances to farmers.
A resident of Patna’s Boring Canal Road area, Sumitesh Kumar (42), who takes advantage of free electricity, said, “Only the middle class and salaried people pay taxes. From our taxes, the government implements schemes. Why should we give up free benefits? Instead of appealing to the common man, the CM should first ask his cabinet colleagues to give up the statutory facilities they are supposed to give up. The allowance (DA) they get in their salaries.”
Another resident of Patna, Nalin Kumar (48), said, “This is not a good sign, we fear that in the coming days the government may end the free electricity or increase the price multiple of 125 units to compensate for the loss of revenue. We are already paying GST.”
According to official power department data, annual per capita electricity consumption has risen to 401 units in 2026 from 75 units in 2005 when the NDA government first came to power in the state. The state government is providing 125 units of free electricity to its 1.92 lakh domestic consumers.
The state government has also started looking for an alternative to reduce the burden by accelerating solarisation, and the installation of rooftop solar panels has increased fourfold in eight months of the current year.
In several states, state governments have scaled back the benefits of their populist plans due to a severe financial crisis. In Maharashtra, the Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana (MMLBY) was launched ahead of 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 million beneficiaries. However, subsequent rounds of verification over the past two years have resulted in the removal of thousands of beneficiaries, bringing the total down to about 1.66 million women.
Last year, even Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu made a similar appeal, asking rich people to give up 125 units of free electricity. Mr. Singh himself was the first to voluntarily give up the subsidy to set an example.
RJD State Spokesperson Ejaz Ahmed asked how those poor people who get free electricity suddenly became able after one year and three months
“The various ‘free’ schemes introduced by the Bihar government have turned out to be just a ploy to use the common people to get votes. Now the NDA and the BJP-led government want to burden the public,” Ahmed said.
Published – November 3, 2026 03:38 IST