Latest news with #SamratChoudhary
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Nitish Kumar promises 125 free power units for every Bihar home
New Delhi: Ahead of assembly elections, the freebie buzz has hit Bihar with chief minister Nitish Kumar announcing on Thursday free electricity up to 125 units for every household in the state. "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. This will benefit a total of 1.67 crore families in the state," the CM posted on X. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category He also added that the state has a target to install solar power systems at every household at subsidised rates and free of cost for extremely poor families. The state aims to produce 10,000 MW of solar power in three years. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder War Thunder Play Now After the announcement, Bihar deputy CM Samrat Choudhary told ET that the decision will benefit 1.82 crore families, out of which 1.67 crore families, who consume less than 125 units, will effectively have zero electricity bills. Bihar already gives electricity at subsidised rates to the consumers. "Earlier, the government was spending ₹15,995 crore on subsidies. With this new decision, an additional ₹3,375 crore will be required, bringing the total subsidy expense to around ₹19,370 crore for this financial year," Choudhary told ET. "From the next year, an additional burden of ₹5,063 crore will be on the state budget. This is a golden day for Bihar where the NDA government has not given relief to the consumers but also prepared a roadmap for free electricity for every household." Live Events While Nitish Kumar has announced 125 units of free power, the leader of Opposition in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav has made a poll promise of 200 units of free electricity. Reacting to the government's announcement, Yadav called it a "copycat" government.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Govt to spend Rs19,370cr on power subsidy: Dy CM
Patna: The state govt will now spend Rs 19,370 crore to provide 100% power subsidy to domestic consumers across the state, deputy chief minister Samrat Choudhary announced on Thursday shortly after CM Nitish Kumar declared that 125 units of electricity will be given free to all domestic users. The proposal is expected to be cleared by the state cabinet on Friday, following PM Narendra Modi's rally in Motihari. Cabinet meetings are typically held on Tuesdays, but the schedule has been advanced in view of the announcement. Explaining the financial outlay, Choudhary said, "A sum of Rs 15,995 crore was earlier spent on energy grants. Now, the state govt will bear an additional burden of approximately Rs 3,375 crore in this financial year." As the move comes in an election year, opposition parties quickly accused the ruling NDA of copying the manifesto promises of the INDIA bloc. RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav had earlier pledged 200 units of free electricity if the alliance came to power. Dismissing Tejashwi's remarks, Choudhary said, "What can be done if the child was in a hurry? The manifesto of the INDIA bloc has not even been prepared yet." The deputy CM also outlined future energy goals under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, which aims to connect every household with solar power within the next three years. "The Centre is offering a 50% subsidy for installing solar panels. In addition, the state government will provide separate grants to beneficiaries. Our goal is to produce 10,000MW of electricity through this scheme," he said. Choudhary added that households installing 1kW solar panels would be eligible for free electricity for the next 25 years.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Surge in demand for domicile certificates suggests presence of many immigrants': Bihar Dy CM
With the publication of the first draft of the electoral rolls after the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive just a week away, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Samrat Choudhary addresses the concerns over it, particularly regarding Bihar residents working outside the state, and says special attention should be paid to Kishanganj district. Excerpts from an interview: * Questions have been raised about the timing of the SIR, just months to go for the polls, with the Block Development Officers (BDOs) deployed for the exercise struggling to cover everyone. The EC is doing the SIR with the 2003 voters' list as the starting point. It is going well across the state minus the Purnia division, especially Kishanganj district. While records show that between January and June 2025, Kishanganj had averaged 26,000 to 28,000 applications a month, in July so far (after the SIR kicked in), about 3.41 lakh domicile applications have been filed. * What do you think the numbers suggest? The surge in demand for residential certificates suggests that many of the applicants are immigrants from other countries. We suspect a sizeable percentage of the people in Kishanganj (a Muslim-dominated district) could be from Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. Central and state governments and the EC should scrutinise and find out if illegal immigrants have been living in India stealthily. Within the Purnia division too, while Purnia district has seen a rise in average monthly domicile applications from 43,970 (earlier) to 98,200 (in July 1-13), in Katihar, this has gone up from 38,271 on an average to 1.32 lakh, and in Araria, from 27,710 domicile certificates in June to 53,556 applications till July 13. (The Indian Express reported earlier that in the wake of the SIR, the demand for a domicile certificate had generally seen a surge, with a big reason being that applicants could get this using Aadhaar, a commonly available document.) * There are apprehensions that a large number of Bihar residents working outside the state may not manage to enroll for the SIR? It is true that a large number of people live outside the state and all of them can't return to the state to fill up their enumeration forms. But in many of these cases, voters have names in the Bihar electoral rolls, as well as elsewhere. The EC is looking at this duplication. It may be verified by Aaadhar cards and voters could be given the option of remaining voters in Bihar or in another state. * Some estimates suggest that 10-15% of those living outside Bihar could be left out. The EC is going through its rules and procedures. There will be claims and objections, followed by appeals. * Isn't it ironic that, just a few months ago, BJP leaders were preparing lists of state residents living outside Bihar to convince them to come back home and cast their votes? Our team met not just Bihar voters but also people who are the state's ambassadors in several fields. Some of these people will still come back for us, whether to vote or to just speak about our good works. * A very small percentage of the deposited enumeration forms are being uploaded with any of the 11 documents that the EC has sought. Does this not leave Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) with too much power to decide which forms to accept? These are questions that are too technical. An ERO has the right to seek to be convinced after a voter has been issued notice for removal from electoral rolls. But the legal nitty-gritty of such questions can be explained better by the EC. * Many BJP leaders are equally concerned about the fallout of the SIR confusion. We are comfortable. We have 52,000 BLAs (Booth Level Agents) and will add 10,000 more to their numbers in some time. Our BLAs are coordinating with BLOs as part of the process.
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nitish plans fresh round of teacher hirings before poll
Ahead of the Assembly poll later this year, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday asked the Education Department to lay the ground for the fourth instalment of the Teacher Recruitment Exam (TRE) by the Bihar Public Service Commission. 'I have instructed the Education Department to immediately count the vacancies for teachers in government schools and take action to conduct the TRE-4 examination for appointments as soon as possible,' he posted on X. In January, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary had announced that more than 80,000 teachers will be recruited in the fourth phase of TRE and with around 20,000 posts being carried over from TRE-3, the total number of vacancies will touch 1 lakh. Mr. Kumar's instructions on Wednesday come on the back of a renewed push for job creation with polls on the horizon. On Tuesday, the Bihar Cabinet gave its nod for the creation of 1 crore jobs and 'employment opportunities' in the State over the next five years. The Chief Minister had recently also announced that over 10 lakh youth and 39 lakh people overall have been provided government jobs. 'Election slogan' Reacting to the Chief Minister's announcement, Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal spokesperson Chitaranjan Gagan termed it 'a mere election slogan'. 'He is still asking for vacancies from the Education Department when the government already has the data. More than 3 lakh teacher posts are vacant in Bihar. If the Chief Minister's intentions are clear, he should immediately issue a notification for recruitment with domicile and start the process of recruitment,' Mr. Gagan said, predicting that the process will get stuck in the model code of conduct likely to be imposed when the Election Commission announces dates for the Assembly election.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Pumped storage policy to boost green energy investment in state
Patna: The state cabinet on Tuesday approved the Bihar Pumped Storage Promotion Policy, 2025, which marks a major milestone in Bihar's renewable energy journey, aiming to attract clean energy investments and develop long-term energy storage solutions. In comparison to other states, Bihar policy offers more investor-friendly incentives. Developers will be exempted from water cess during the initial reservoir filling. They will also receive concessions on intra-state power transmission charges. Moreover, no contribution will be required towards Local Area Development Fund, and the state will not demand any free royalty power from these projects, making Bihar one of the most attractive destinations for pumped storage investment in India. Under the new policy, the govt will facilitate early identification and allocation of non-forest land for such projects. District administrations and BIADA have been instructed to expedite proposals for land allocation. A dedicated single-window clearance system is also being developed by energy department to streamline approvals and provide timely support to investors. Private players will be encouraged to set up projects under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary said in the National Electricity Plan (NEP) 2022-32 of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), energy storage is essential to incorporate the excess renewable energy into the grid. "Keeping in mind the resolution of net-zero carbon emission by 2070, the Bihar govt is committed to sustainable energy development," he said. The policy will help balance the intermittency of renewable resources like solar and wind. This is especially crucial for a growing economy like Bihar, where ensuring round-the-clock power supply through clean sources is key to inclusive development. Energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said this policy will further position Bihar as a frontrunner in India's green energy transition. "It will unlock new avenues for investment, innovation, and employment," he said. Mahendra Kumar, the managing director of of Bihar State Power Generation Company Limited, termed the policy a game changer. "It will not only accelerate energy sector growth but also establish Bihar as a self-reliant and environmentally responsible state," he said.
