Centre must think of 'one nation, one power tariff' policy, says Nitish

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday called for a 'one nation, one power tariff' policy across the country, asserting that there is an urgent need to bring parity in the cost of electricity.

Bihar gets electricity from the Centre’s power generation plants at a higher rate compared to other states and provides the same to consumers at a much lower rate, he said while replying to the debate on the Governor's address to the joint sitting of the legislature.

“Every state plays a decisive role in building the country… One can't think about inclusive growth of the country without constructive participation of states. A uniform electricity rate across the country should be there,” Kumar said.

The central government must think a “one nation, one power tariff” policy, said the CM.

To maintain transparency, the Bihar government decided to install smart prepaid electricity meters in the state and 12.5 lakh such meters have been installed, Kumar said.

The CM also reiterated his demand for granting special status to Bihar and criticised the BJP-led government at the Centre for ignoring backward states.

“The special category status to all backward states, and not just Bihar, will make them compete with developed states,” he said.

“The economy of Bihar is one of the fastest-growing in India. Bihar has not only grown consistently but also outperformed even the most developed states,” the chief minister said.

Bihar has recorded 10.98 per cent growth in 2021-22, which is better than the national average of 8.68 per cent, he said.