Bihar’s Free Electricity Scheme: Nitish Plays the Power Card with 125 Units
So here’s the thing—just months before elections, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar drops this bombshell announcement: 1.67 crore households will get 125 units of free electricity every month. Classic political move, right? On paper, it’s a lifeline for families struggling with bills. But let’s be real—this is as much about votes as it is about welfare. The timing’s just too perfect.
1. What’s This Free Electricity Thing All About?
Basically, if you’re a Bihar resident using less than 125 units monthly (which is most lower-middle-class homes), your bill gets wiped clean. That’s roughly 60% of the state’s population covered. Officials are calling it a “game-changer for rural areas”—though honestly, we’ve heard that before. Remember how everyone switched off diesel generators when 24/7 power was promised last election? Yeah, that didn’t exactly pan out.
2. How’s It Actually Going to Work?
Good question. The details are still fuzzy, but here’s what we know:
- First 125 units? Free as in free.
- Use more? You pay for the extra like normal.
But here’s the kicker—no one’s sure yet if this will be an automatic bill adjustment or some complicated Aadhaar-linked reimbursement process. Knowing how these schemes usually roll out, brace yourself for paperwork.
3. The Politics Behind the Freebies
Let me put it this way—when Jharkhand announced 200 free units in January, Bihar had to respond. Election math is simple: more freebies = more votes. But economists are sweating over the ₹2,000+ crore annual cost. As my neighbor Rajesh put it: “Free bijli is great until the transformer blows up again.”
4. What People Are Saying
Social media’s split down the middle. Twitter’s flooded with celebratory posts from happy families, while WhatsApp forwards call it a “stunt”. Dr. Renu Sinha from Patna University makes a solid point: “Subsidies without fixing our crumbling infrastructure is like giving free Netflix to someone without a smartphone.”
5. The Problems No One’s Talking About
For starters, Bihar loses about 30% of its power in transmission—that’s stolen or just wasted through old wires. And let’s not forget last year’s promise of 24/7 electricity that never materialized in half the villages. Opposition leaders are having a field day with that one.
6. How Other States Are Doing It
- Jharkhand: Went big with 200 units (probably why Bihar had to match)
- Delhi: Their 200-unit scheme’s now drowning in debt
- Telangana: Farmers get 101 free units since 2018—works because they actually upgraded grids first
7. How to Get Your Free Electricity (When It Rolls Out)
Assuming they don’t make it needlessly complicated:
- Register on that glitchy BSPHCL website (good luck with that)
- Link your Aadhaar to your electricity account
- Pray the local lineman doesn’t “lose” your application
8. The Bigger Picture
Here’s the truth—free electricity is great PR, but Bihar needs solar microgrids and transformer upgrades way more than subsidies. Remember last summer’s 12-hour cuts in Gaya? No amount of free units helps when there’s no power to begin with.
Bottom Line
This scheme might win Nitish some votes, but its real test will come in July when ACs blast full power across Patna. If the grid holds up? Game-changer. If not? Just another empty promise collecting dust with all the other election manifestos. Either way, keep those emergency candles handy.
Source: Aaj Tak – Home