Motihari: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced that his government will provide free electricity to all households in the state, a move he said was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. Speaking at a public meeting in Motihari’s Gandhi Maidan—where Modi is on a state visit—Kumar said the decision would be formally approved by the state cabinet later in the evening.
“We respect you, Prime Minister,” Kumar said, pointing towards Modi during his speech. “We have made it free, and the cabinet will clear it this evening.”
Kumar used the platform to contrast the current administration’s performance with that of previous governments. He criticised the erstwhile Lalu-Rabri regime, claiming that no significant development had taken place during their tenure. “Back then, the total budget was Rs 24,000 crore. Today, we are spending more than Rs 3 lakh crore,” he said, crediting both the state and central governments for the progress.
The Chief Minister also highlighted employment as a major achievement of his administration. “We have provided 10 lakh government jobs, and in total, 29 lakh jobs have been created. Going forward, we have resolved to create employment for one crore youth over the next five years,” Kumar said.
On electricity, the Chief Minister noted that earlier even the capital city of Patna had access to electricity for only eight hours a day. “Now we have ensured power supply everywhere, and we are going a step further by making electricity free,” he added.
