Patna, Nov. 14: Chief minister Nitish Kumar today washed his hands of the 10 per cent premium on the power tariff in Patna, Rajgir and Bodhgaya, saying Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) decides the energy price.

“The government does not intervene directly in the fixation of the power tariff. The BSEB’s regulator listens to all the parties concerned and fixes the tariff,” Nitish told reporters on the sidelines of his weekly janata darbar at his official residence.

The BSEB notified the imposition of 10 per cent premium on power bills in Patna, Rajgir and Bodhgaya with effect from December 1, promising uninterrupted power supply in these cities.

Nitish said: “The government will have to give subsidy to some sectors but it is already under additional financial burden on the energy front.”

He said the power tariff had gone up because National Thermal Power Corporation increased its price.

Replying to a query, Nitish said a three-member panel comprising deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, law and planning development minister Narendra Narayan Yadav and water resources minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary had been constituted to examine the draft Lokpal bill and give suggestions on it.