Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday announced in the assembly that his government will not hike electricity rates and will give a subsidy of Rs 13,114 crores.
“Our cabinet has decided that we will not allow the electricity tariff to increase for the people of Bihar and the tariffs will remain the same as it was last year. For that, we have increased the subsidy from Rs 8,895 crores to Rs 13,114 crores.” Nitish Kumar also alleged that the Central government of charging higher electricity rates from Bihar despite it being a ‘gareeb rajya’ (poor state).
“Maharashtra gets electricity at Rs 4.32 per unit, despite being the richest state, while Bihar is getting it at Rs 5.82 per unit.
Last year we use to get it for Rs 5.82 per unit but it’s been hiked to Rs 5.82 per unit”, said Nitish Kumar. “The regulatory body decides the rate, but the final ball is in our courts, we are in the category of poor states, Madhya Pradesh gets electricity for Rs 3.49 per unit.
The Centre should think about ‘gareeb rajya’, we get costly electricity. We have been demanding one nation one tariff for long.” added the CM further.
Earlier Bihar Electricity Regulation Commission ordered a hike of 24.1 per cent and the revised rates were to be regulated from April 1. But now after the government announcement, consumers do have not to bear the extra burden.
After Nitish Kumar’s announcement, Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav praised the government’s decision and called it a decision taken in favour of the public and farmers.