Bihar will launch a ‘Give It Up’ campaign on December 1, urging affluent residents and income-tax payers to voluntarily forgo the 125 units of free electricity provided every month under the state’s subsidy scheme. Chief minister Samrat Choudhary said the move is intended to reduce the financial burden on the state exchequer while protecting the benefit for economically weaker households and needy consumers.
The chief minister announced the campaign while speaking to reporters during a visit to a Mahadalit settlement on the Digha-Ashiana Road in Patna. He said the free-power initiative currently covers households across income groups and benefits around 1.92 crore families in Bihar.
According to Choudhary, the electricity subsidy costs the state approximately Rs 23,000 crore annually. He put the average annual cost at nearly Rs 10,000 per family. The proposed campaign will ask financially better-off beneficiaries to voluntarily contribute towards the subsidy instead of continuing to claim the free-power benefit.
“From Dec 1, we will launch a campaign encouraging those who wish to voluntarily contribute towards the electricity subsidy. Just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to people to voluntarily give up their LPG subsidies, we are making a similar appeal,” Choudhary said.
The 125-unit free electricity facility is provided under the Mukhyamantri Vidyut Upbhokta Sahayata Yojana. The scheme was announced by former chief minister Nitish Kumar on July 17, 2025, and implemented across Bihar from August 1, 2025.
Officials said the proposed ‘Give It Up’ campaign would remain voluntary. Free electricity of up to 125 units a month will continue for economically weaker sections and other needy consumers, according to the report. The government has not announced a compulsory income threshold or a detailed process for identifying consumers who may opt out.
Officials also said that savings generated from affluent beneficiaries who voluntarily surrender the subsidy will be channelled directly into improving educational infrastructure and other development projects in the state. The announcement therefore links the electricity support programme to a broader question of how Bihar funds both household relief and public investment.
The campaign follows the state government’s decision to extend the free-power benefit across Bihar rather than restrict it to a specific economic category. Its proposed voluntary structure means the immediate impact will depend on how many eligible consumers choose to give up the subsidy and how the government records and redirects the resulting savings.
Choudhary made the announcement during a Diwali visit to underprivileged communities, where he distributed gifts and called on public representatives and administrative officers to celebrate the festival with Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Extremely Backward Class communities. The government’s next stated milestone is the launch of the ‘Give It Up’ drive on December 1.
