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Business Standard
20 minutes ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
'Na bijli ayegi na bill': BJP leader mocks ally Nitish Kumar's poll promise
BJP leader Arvind Kumar Sharma mocked JD(U) ally Nitish Kumar's promise of free electricity in Bihar, saying it would be free only if supplied. 'Na bijli ayegi na bill ayega,' he quipped Uttar Pradesh's Energy and Urban Development Minister, Arvind Kumar Sharma, took a dig at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday over his recent announcement of free electricity. Commenting sarcastically on the scheme, the BJP leader said, 'Electricity is free in Bihar but it will be free only when it will be supplied... na bijli ayegi na bill ayega... free ho gayi. Hum bijli de rhe hain (we are providing the electricity),' as quoted by PTI. VIDEO | Mathura: UP Energy and Urban Development Minister AK Sharma (@aksharmaBharat) on free electricity up to 125 units in Bihar, says, "Electricity is free in Bihar but it will be free only when it will be supplied... na bijli ayegi na bill ayega... free ho gayi. Hum bijli de… — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 19, 2025 Bihar approves 125 units of free power The statement comes a day after the Bihar Cabinet on Friday (July 18) approved a plan to provide 125 units of free electricity each month to domestic consumers across the state, starting August 1. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar in Patna. According to a government statement, 'The state government will pay additional ₹3,797 crore on electricity consumption to the Bihar State Power Holding Corporation Ltd for the purpose.' The government -- led by BJP and JD(U) -- also announced that financial support would be given to households for installing 1.1-KW rooftop solar power systems. Solar energy push over next three years CM Kumar added that in the next three years, solar power plants will be set up on rooftops or nearby public spaces with the consent of domestic consumers. 'We have also decided that in the next three years, with the consent of all these domestic consumers, solar power plants will be installed on their rooftops or at nearby public places to provide benefits,' the CM said. For extremely poor households, the state will cover the entire cost of solar panel installations. Other families will receive aid under the Kutir Jyoti scheme. He said this move could help generate up to 10,000 megawatts of solar power within the next three years. Bihar elections: Pre-poll welfare measures The announcements are being seen as part of a broader set of welfare schemes in the run-up to the Bihar Assembly elections later this year. A day before the electricity announcement, CM Kumar had instructed the Education Department to assess the number of vacant teaching posts and begin preparations for the next Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE) 4. In a post on X, the chief minister said the free electricity plan would benefit nearly 1.67 crore families. 'We have been providing electricity to everyone at affordable rates from the very beginning. Now we have decided that from August 1, 2025, that is, from the July bill itself, all domestic consumers in the state will not have to pay any money for electricity up to 125 units,' he stated. Political dynamics after 2024 general elections It is worth mentioning here that JDU's support became indispensable for the BJP after the 2024 elections. For the first time since 2014, the BJP did not secure a majority on its own in the Lok Sabha in 2024. The Janata Dal (United) emerged as the second-largest ally in the NDA, after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Together, the JDU and TDP became crucial for the NDA to maintain a majority in Parliament and for the BJP to form the government. As a result, Nitish Kumar's political importance has grown, with his party securing more influence both in cabinet posts and in policymaking.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Na Bijli Aayegi Na Bill': BJP Minister's Dig Becomes Self-Goal in Bihar
/ Jul 19, 2025, 09:47PM IST BJP's UP Minister AK Sharma may have ended up mocking his own party's coalition government in Bihar while trying to take a jab at CM Nitish Kumar. After Kumar's promise of 125 units of free electricity to 1.67 crore households, Sharma sarcastically remarked, 'Na bijli aayegi na bill aayega. Free ho gayi.' But the remark backfired, as Bihar's government is a BJP-JDU coalition, and Sharma's taunt has been seen as an indirect admission of governance failure. Nitish Kumar's scheme, scheduled to start from August, also includes solar power initiatives for rural homes.#bihar #nitishkumar #bjp #bjpselfgoal #freelectricity #aksharma #bihargovt #bjpjdutensions #biharpowercrisis #biharpolitics #coalitionconflict #electrificationindia #toi #toibharat #bharat #trending #breakingnews #indianews
Time of India
an hour ago
- Politics
- Time of India
CM inspects ghats as Ganga's water level rises
Patna: CM Nitish Kumar on Saturday visited the JP Ganga Path by road and took stock of the rising water levels of the Ganges River alongside the state capital. During the inspection, the CM inspected the rising water levels from Kangan Ghat in Patna Sahib to Nasriganj Ghat in Danapur. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He asked the officials to remain fully alert in the areas along the Ganga and always stay prepared to handle any emergency. After inspecting the rising water levels of the river from the LCT Ghat on the JP Ganga Path, Nitish reached the NIT Ghat, where he gathered information from officials about the current situation of the water levels and the people living alongside the river's southern bank. From the NIT Ghat, the CM travelled via JP Ganga Path to Kangan Ghat, then to Digha Ghat, and finally to Nasriganj Ghat in Danapur to assess the rising water levels of the Ganga. During the inspection, the CM emphasised the continuous review of the conditions in the riverine areas of the Ganga, especially the lower regions, and to take necessary action immediately if needed to prevent any damage. "An increase in the water level of the Ganga has been recorded at several places, including Nasriganj Ghat and Gandhi Ghat, and the river's current is very strong," a communique issued by the chief minister's office (CMO) said. Earlier, Nitish inspected the park being developed by the department of environment, forest, and climate change (DoEFCC) on the JP Ganga Path. During the inspection, officials informed the CM that the park is 500 meters long and is located between LCT Ghat and Kurji Ghat. "This park is part of the Patna Smart City project and is being developed as a picnic spot. Its aim is to make the JP Ganga Path more scenic and appealing," officials told the CM. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Nitish instructed the officials to ensure that the park, situated along the banks of the Ganga, is developed with the safety and convenience of the public in mind. "The development of the park on the JP Ganga Path will enhance greenery and provide a place for visitors to spend time with their families," Nitish said and asked officials to complete the project at the earliest.
Mint
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Mint
‘Na bijli aayegi, na bill aayega': BJP minister takes sarcastic jibe at ally Nitish Kumar's free electricity promise
In a sarcastic jibe aimed at the Bihar Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh's Energy and Urban Development Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma on Saturday said electricity in Bihar will be free only when it will be supplied. The UP minister was commenting on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's announcement that free electricity will be provided up to 125 units in the state. 'Electricity is free in Bihar but it will be free only when it will be supplied... na bijli ayegi na bill ayega... free ho gayi. Hum bijli de rhe hain," news agency PTI quoted Sharma as saying. The Bihar Cabinet on Friday cleared a proposal for providing 125 units of electricity free of cost every month to domestic consumers across the state starting August 1. The cabinet cleared the proposal of the energy department during a meeting in Patna chaired by CM Nitish Kumar. 'The state government will pay additional ₹ 3,797 crore on electricity consumption to the Bihar State Power Holding Corporation Ltd for the purpose,' a statement issued by the state's Information and Public Relations Department (IPRD) said. The Bihar government will also provide financial assistance for installing 1.1-KW capacity solar power plants on rooftops to domestic consumers, it said. Kumar had on July 17 announced that all domestic consumers across the state will receive up to 125 units of electricity free of cost every month starting August 1. The decision is expected to benefit nearly 1.67 crore families in the state. CM Kumar said that the government has also decided to install solar power plants on the rooftops or in the nearby public places of domestic consumers in the next three years. "We have also decided that in the next three years, with the consent of all these domestic consumers, solar power plants will be installed on their rooftops or at nearby public places to provide benefits," the CM said. Kumar further stated that the state government will fully cover the cost of installing solar power systems for extremely poor families, while others will receive suitable financial assistance under the Kutir Jyoti scheme. He stated that the state could have up to 10,000 megawatts of solar energy available within the next three years. The announcements came as a move to woo voters ahead of the state assembly elections scheduled for later this year. Continuing with his string of poll sop announcements, a day earlier, Bihar CM Kumar directed the Education Department to promptly assess vacancies for teachers in government schools and initiate the process for conducting the Teacher Recruitment Examination (TRE) 4.
News18
5 hours ago
- Politics
- News18
‘Na Bijli Aayegi, Na Bill Aayega…': UP Energy Minister On Nitish Kumar's Free Electricity Announcement
UP Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma mocked Bihar CM Nitish Kumar's promise of free electricity up to 125 units, saying it will be free only if supplied. Uttar Pradesh's Energy and Urban Development Minister Arvind Kumar Sharma on Saturday took a sarcastic jibe over Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's announcement of free electricity for up to 125 units ahead of state assembly polls, saying electricity will be free only when it would be supplied. 'Electricity is free in Bihar but it will be free only when it will be supplied… na bijli ayegi na bill ayega… free ho gayi. Hum bijli de rhe hain (Neither electricity will come nor will the bill come… it is free. We are providing electricity)," Sharma said as quoted by news agency PTI in Mathura. The UP minister's remark days after Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that every household in Bihar would get 125 units of electricity free of cost starting August 1. Announcing the decision ahead of the state assembly elections, Nitish Kumar on X said, 'From the very beginning, we have been providing electricity to everyone at affordable rates. Now, we have decided that starting from August 1, 2025 — meaning from the July billing cycle — all domestic consumers in the state will not have to pay anything for up to 125 units of electricity." हमलोग शुरू से ही सस्ती दरों पर सभी को बिजली उपलब्ध करा रहे हैं। अब हमने तय कर दिया है कि 1 अगस्त, 2025 से यानी जुलाई माह के बिल से ही राज्य के सभी घरेलू उपभोक्ताओं को 125 यूनिट तक बिजली का कोई पैसा नहीं देना पड़ेगा। इससे राज्य के कुल 1 करोड़ 67 लाख परिवारों को लाभ होगा। हमने यह…— Nitish Kumar (@NitishKumar) July 17, 2025 The Chief Minister further added that the decision will benefit a total of 1.67 crore families across Bihar. The Bihar CM also promised that in the next three years, solar power panels will be installed on the rooftops of residents after taking their permission, to provide further benefit. 'We have also decided that within the next three years, after obtaining consent from these domestic consumers, solar power plants will be installed either on their rooftops or at nearby public places to provide further benefits," he added in the post. In the poll-bound state, Kumar has so far made several big announcements. Earlier, on July 16, the Chief Minister asked the Education Department to lay the ground for the fourth instalment of the Teacher Recruitment Exam (TRE) by the Bihar Public Service Commission, under which more than one lakh teachers would be recruited. Similarly, on July 13, he promised to provide jobs and employment opportunities to one crore youths in the next five years (2025-2030). (With inputs from agencies) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
