Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha informed on Monday that Bangladesh has an outstanding electricity bill of Rs 200 crore.
The state government has not yet taken any decision on stopping the power supply, but the situation remains critical.
electricity supply agreement
NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited through Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) supplies 60-70 MW of power to Bangladesh.
- Agreement: The supply is being made under an agreement with Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).
- Power Source:
- Electricity is produced at the 726 MW gas-based plant of ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC) located at Palatana, Tripura.
- Tripura started supplying electricity to Bangladesh in March 2016.
Chief Minister’s statement: Dues and future plans
Chief Minister Saha said:
- Due Payment:
- “Bangladesh has not yet paid Rs 200 crore for power supply. This amount is increasing every day.”
- The government hopes that Bangladesh will soon clear the dues so that power supply is not disrupted.
- Decision on stopping power supply:
- No final decision has been taken on this yet.
- The Chief Minister said,
“If Bangladesh does not pay the dues, it is difficult to decide how long we will be able to continue supplying electricity to them.”
Tripura-Bangladesh relations: historical cooperation and current crisis
- Supply on Gratitude Basis:
- The Chief Minister said that machinery for Tripura’s power generation plant was brought through Bangladeshi territory and Chittagong port.
- Keeping this in mind, Tripura started power supply under the agreement.
- Situation at the border:
- Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides, north, south and west.
- Its 856 km long international border constitutes 84% of the total border.
- The Chief Minister said,
“Despite the unrest that began in Bangladesh in August, there has been no major influx at the border.”
Action on security breach in Agartala
Recently, an incident of security breach came to light in Bangladesh Assistant High Commission located in Agartala.
- The Chief Minister said that strict action was taken in this case and many people were arrested.
Solving the power crisis: a test of India-Bangladesh cooperation
The decision to stop power supply to Bangladesh could be economically and diplomatically challenging for Tripura.
- Diplomatic issue:
- Cooperation between Tripura and Bangladesh has been historically strong.
- The decision to stop power supply may affect this relationship.
- Economic Aspects:
- Non-payment of dues may increase pressure on the state’s energy projects.
