Patna,(BiharTimes): Though the former chief minister, Nitish Kumar, had announced that his government would provide electricity to all the villages of Bihar by 2015 the fact is that it consumes the least electricity in the country. An average resident of Bihar consumes just 3.5 kWh. In contrast the per capita consumption in Delhi is 12 times more. Amongst the major states, Delhi tops with a per capita consumption of 43.2 kWh.

According to the 68th round of survey of the National Sample Survey Organisation conducted in 2011-12 electrification in rural India has increased considerably. It said that power was consumed by 74% rural households in 2011-12; thus it increased by 36% over the previous survey, conducted in 2004-05.
The quantum of electricity consumed in these seven years in rural India increased by 57%.

In urban areas, the number of households consuming electricity went up by just seven per cent in seven years. It was 96% in 2011-12. The per capita amount of electricity consumed went up by 29%.

According to the survey per person consumption of electricity in rural India was 8.9 kilo-watt hours, costing Rs 25, as compared with 25.8 kWh in urban India, where it cost Rs 87.

The survey also said that urban consumers spent 3.5% of their consumer expenditure on electricity while in rural India it was 1.76%.

In Uttar Pradesh urban population consumes five times more power than the rural counterparts. This divide is highest in the country.

In contrast Punjab and Himachal Pradesh have high rates of rural consumption. In both the states the rural consumption is about two-thirds that of urban areas. This is possibly because of the high levels of subsidies in electricity given to rural areas by the respective governments.