Patna, March 27: Chief minister Nitish Kumar’s residence, 1 Aney Marg, would soon be lit with solar energy as the Bihar cabinet on Tuesday approved Rs 4.5 crore for the purpose.

The sprawling house of the CM and the entire premises, including the place where he holds janata darbar, would have its own system for lighting. This would end the dependence on supply from Bihar State Electricity Board.

Sources said the government, in its bid to popularise renewable energy among common people, had decided to resort to the solar system at the chief minister’s residence so as to send a message that it was as good as the traditional sources of power, thermal or hydel.

During a seminar organised by Independent Power Producers’ Association of India on July 27 last year, Nitish had said: “People take solar energy as a joke and that’s why I have directed the officials to opt for solar energy at the chief minister’s residence and office so that common people gain confidence that it is like any other source of energy.”

Sources said the state has vast potential of generating about 2,000MW of power from alternative sources of energy.

The cabinet also put a seal on leasing out two sugar factories of Lohat and Samastipur, owned by Bihar State Sugar Corporation, to private parties, sources said.

Despite three successive bids, the government could hand over just six of the 15 sugar mills of the corporation to private parties to crush canes on a lease term in the fourth bid.

The state government’s attempt to revive its sick sugar factories received lukewarm response from investors. It could privatise just two factories against the target of leasing out remaining nine mills.

These factories would be handed over to these two private firms on a 30-year lease, said sources.

The cabinet sanctioned Rs 54 crore for payment of salaries and pensions for teaching and non-teaching employees of the state universities.

It okayed computerisation of 264 madarsas for an estimated cost of Rs 28.24 crore. The government would set up a 50-bed hostel in the state capital for differently abled people.

Gaya airport

The cabinet approved Rs 24.63 crore for acquiring 100 acres for the expansion of Gaya international airport.