Patna: (ABN) On the second day of the budget session of the Bihar Legislative Assembly, the state government presented the general budget for the financial year 2026-27. Finance Minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav presented the budget in the assembly at 2 pm. This is the first full budget of the Nitish Kumar government after the elections. The government has allocated Rs 18,737.06 crore for the energy department.

Continuous increase in electricity demand
Along with the economic development of the state, there is also a continuous increase in electricity demand. Currently, the state is getting 23-24 hours of electricity supply. In 2025-26, the maximum electricity demand reached 8,752 megawatts on July 23, 2025. In 2026-27, the state's maximum demand is likely to exceed 9,600 megawatts.

Billing errors are decreasing
Errors in electricity billing are decreasing continuously. The use of smart prepaid meters and optical character recognition technology has made the system more accurate and transparent, ensuring that consumers receive correct bills on time and reducing hassles.

Under the Jal Jeevan Hariyali Abhiyan, the target was to install solar power plants on the roofs of 12,971 government buildings, such as higher secondary schools, E Kisan Bhawan, polytechnic and engineering colleges, and industrial training centers. A total of 119 megawatt solar power plants were installed on these buildings. So far, solar power plants with a total capacity of 112 megawatts have been installed on 12,131 government buildings. The government has set a target of installing solar power plants with a total capacity of 500 megawatts on these government buildings over the next five years.

So far, solar power plants have been installed on 15,900 private buildings. Under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana, solar power plants are being installed on the roofs of residential buildings. The scheme provides a subsidy of Rs 30,000 for 1 kilowatt, Rs 60,000 for 2 kilowatts, and Rs 78,000 for 3 kilowatts or more. Combining the previous rooftop solar power scheme and this scheme, a total of 57.20 megawatt solar power plants have been installed on 15,900 private buildings so far. Additionally, there is a plan to install 1.1 kilowatt solar power plants for free on the homes of 5.8 million consumers from economically weaker families. The process of installing solar power plants on the roofs of 10 lakh families is ongoing in the first phase.

Target of 1.2 lakh solar street lights
Under the Chief Minister Rural Solar Street Light Scheme, a target has been set to install 1.2 lakh solar street lights in all panchayats. So far, 8.44 lakh solar street lights have been installed. A new 3x800 megawatt thermal power plant is being set up in the Pirpainti area of Bhagalpur. The project is expected to be completed by 2029-30.

Big benefit for farmers
Under the Mukhyamantri Krishi Bijli Connection Scheme, the target is to provide electricity connections to 8.55 lakh agricultural pump sets in the state by September 2026. So far, 7.66 lakh farmers have received connections. Currently, under Scheme-2, a target of 4.80 lakh has been set, out of which 3.91 lakh connections have been provided. Since July 2025, domestic consumers have been getting free electricity up to 125 units under the Mukhyamantri Bijli Madad Scheme. A subsidy is being provided for consumption above 125 units.

Bihar is ahead in smart prepaid meters
So far, more than 83 lakh smart prepaid meters have been installed in the state, which is the highest in the country. These consumers are also being given an additional discount of 25 paise per unit. Due to the state government's policies, the power distribution companies have recorded a profit of Rs 215 crore in 2022-23, Rs 1,274 crore in 2023-24, and Rs 2,004 crore in 2024-25.

What was included in the previous budget for the energy department?
In the budget 2025, the Bihar government announced several major projects for the energy department. Under the Jal Jeevan-Hariyali Abhiyan, solar plants with a capacity of 94.34 megawatts were installed on the roofs of 10,433 government buildings. Under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana, a subsidy of Rs 30,000 to Rs 78,000 was provided for 1-3 kilowatt solar plants, and 21 megawatt solar plants were installed on 5,683 private buildings. Farmers were provided electricity at a rate of just 55 paise per unit, along with additional subsidies.