NITISH’S 125 UNIT SCHEME PUTS MODI’S PM SURYA GHAR YOJANA ON BACK FOOT

NITISH’S 125 UNIT SCHEME PUTS MODI’S PM SURYA GHAR YOJANA ON BACK FOOT

19-DEC-ENG 12

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA----------------------------In Bihar's power politics, the current of free electricity units is flowing so strongly that the central government's ambitious PM Surya Ghar Yojana seems to be getting sidelined. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's 125 units of free electricity scheme has played such a political gambit that it has directly impacted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's solar-based scheme.

Since July 2025, people's interest in the PM Surya Ghar Yojana has plummeted by about 78 percent. Earlier, where 70 to 75 applications were received every month, this number has now shrunk to just 16 to 17. A total of 1,995 online applications have been submitted in the district so far, of which solar panels have been installed on the roofs of 904 houses, and 869 beneficiaries have also received the government subsidy amount.

On the other hand, Biharsharif has a total of 5,69,047 electricity connections, which include 5,06,022 domestic consumers, and of these, 3,63,921 consumers are availing the benefit of the 125 units of free electricity scheme. Under this scheme, not only is free electricity being provided, but the minimum service charge has also been waived, providing immediate relief to the common consumer.

Meanwhile, the PM Surya Ghar Yojana provides a subsidy of Rs 30,000 to Rs 78,000 for installing solar panels of one to three kilowatts, but the initial cost and the complexity of the process are deterring people. Sensing the situation, the electricity department has now started working to get the scheme back on track. The department will honor 10 consumers from each electricity section who have reduced their electricity bills to zero by installing solar panels, in order to build trust and create awareness. Electrical Superintending Engineer Manish Kant says that the pace of the solar scheme has slowed down after the free electricity scheme was introduced, but efforts are being made to revive it through felicitation ceremonies, subsidized loans, and awareness campaigns. Overall, the fight for solar power seems to be losing ground in the politics of free electricity.