Jharkhand’s new chief minister Champai Soren has decided to increase electricity subsidy from the existing 100 units to 125 units.

The move, according to a senior JMM leader, is aimed at countering the BJP’s election plank after the consecration of Ayodhya Dham.

“The idea is to leverage the sentiments of people grappling with inflation effects and create a narrative separate from religious sentiments being fueled by BJP after the Ayodhya Dham event. More such announcements will follow during the budget session which will be held in the last week of February,” said a Ranchi-based senior JMM leader considered close to both former chief minister Hemant Soren and Champai Soren.

He also informed that the cabinet expansion will take place on February 16 after the arrival of governor C.P. Radhakrishnan.

Meanwhile in a communique issued on Wednesday evening by the chief minister’s secretariat after a review meeting with the chief secretary, additional chief
secretaries and principal secretaries of various departments at Ranchi, it was announced that the chief minister has announced increasing the electricity subsidy to 125 and directed the energy department to prepare a proposal in this connection at the earliest.

“The chief minister has said that electricity subsidy will be increased soon. Electricity consumers will now be given 125 units of electricity free instead of 100 units and electricity will be supplied to all the deprived tolas (village hamlets). The energy department has been asked to prepare a proposal in this regard,” the communique read.

The Jharkhand government started the 100-unit Free Electricity Scheme in August 2022 and aimed at reducing the financial burden of electricity consumers.

Jharkhand Assembly polls are scheduled later this year and the JMM-Congress-RJD coalition government is learnt to be lining up populist welfare schemes ahead of the elections.

The chief minister during the meeting sought information about the budgetary
provisions and actual receipts and expenditures of various departments and also reviewed the schemes run by various departments, gave necessary instructions to the officers and asked them to speed up the execution of welfare schemes.