Patna,(BiharTimes): The energy minister of Bihar, Bijendra Yadav, on Thursday rejected the demand to slash the power tariff in the state after the new Aam Admi Party government did so soon after coming to power in Delhi.

Talking to the media he said the rate was already low and much below the purchase price in the state. He said that while Bihar has only 11 per cent urban areas Delhi is entirely urbanised.

He claimed that the power tariff in Bihar is Rs 2-2.25 per unit for urban consumers and much below the purchase price of the commodity. The power charge is not at all costly in Bihar in comparison to other states.

He said chief minister Nitish Kumar had, during the Independence Day speech in 2012, promised to improve power situation in Bihar failing which, he had said he would not seek votes from the people in the 2015 Assembly election. The minister said that the district headquarters are now getting 24 hour electricity and soon the situation would improve in the rural areas.

Only recently there were reports that the Bihar government is thinking in term of increasing the power tariff once again. However, the plan was put on the backburner.