AGARTALA, Dec 10: Bangladesh owes Rs 161 crore to the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) in unpaid electricity bills, according to state Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath on Tuesday. The outstanding payment has been raised with the Centre, as the TSECL continues to supply 70 to 80 MW of electricity daily to Bangladesh, which has been facing severe electricity shortages.
Minister Nath revealed that despite the significant unpaid amount, the TSECL would continue supplying electricity to Bangladesh. In an attempt to resolve the issue, the state approached the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), which acts as the nodal agency for power supply from the Tripura power project. NVVN has urged Bangladesh to clear the due payments.
Tripura has been supplying electricity to Bangladesh since 2016, when it started providing 100 MW from the ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC) power plant. The supply has occasionally increased to 160 MW, with discussions ongoing regarding increasing it to 250 MW due to Bangladesh’s growing power demand. However, increasing supply requires clearance and agreement from the central government.
The OTPC’s 726 MW gas-based power plant at Palatana in southern Tripura, a joint venture with ONGC, IDFC Bank, and the Tripura government, is the largest of its kind in the northeastern region. The plant meets around 35% of the power requirement for seven northeastern states, excluding Sikkim. This plant is also a key example of Indo-Bangladesh cooperation, as heavy project equipment and turbines for the Palatana project passed through Bangladesh territory.
