AGARTALA, June 6 (TIWN): A tug of war between the NEEPCO and Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd. (TSECL) has hit the state at large with severe power crisis especially at the rural areas of the state along with state capital. TSECL is ‘reluctant’ to purchase power from NEEPCO Monarchak Power plant due to its high cost of power. At present the cost is Rs. 4 per unit of power, which has led its power to be futile for the TSECL, a state government undertaking body.

NEEPCO official on Friday said that recently the state govt. has received an allocation letter from the Union Ministry of power. The letter was send after the high level meeting held at New Delhi in the last month. The official also clarified that until the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) modifies the current rate the NEEPCO, officials cannot bring any solution to the reluctant mode of the TSECL.

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has already fixed Rs 4.15 as per unit cost of power produced at the Monarchak power project, which is quite high compared to TSECL or OTPC power.  

The official of the state power department in this regard said, “We also requested the NEEPCO to re-examine per unit cost of power to be produced at the Monarchak plant by approaching the CERC. It will be tough for the state to buy power at a higher price since power is available at a lower price here.”

Following the issue of the high power cost of NEEPCO and the state govt. reluctant to buy power from it, the Ministry has held a meeting with authorities of NEEPCO and TSECL in Delhi last month. NEEPCO’s Chairman cum Managing Director PC Pankaj and Head of Project (HoP), Manarchak power plant SR Biswas remained present in the meeting. Besides, TSECL’s Chairman cum Managing Director (CMD) SK Roy and Addl GM, TSECL Mahananda Debbarma also attended the meeting.

Talking to CMD of TSECL after the he arrived here concluding the meeting, he refused to reveal details as there was no decision in the meeting. “We had a meeting over sale of Manarchak power in presence of the Joint Secretary of Power Ministry as well NEEPCO authority. But no concrete decision was taken in the meeting”, he said.  

However, after refusal of buying power, the NEEPCO has been learnt to be in a big trouble as the unit remained shut down for consideration period, causing further cost escalation. According to TSECL sources, it could not buy power at Rs. 4 per unit when the same power is available at Rs. 2.25/ 2.50. Now it is to be seen how the Ministry finds a solution of the ongoing tug of war between two PSUs- NEEPCO and TSECL.

Run by North East Electrical Power Corporation (NEEPCO), government undertaking gas based power plant at Monarchak at Tripura Sonamura Sub division is currently facing a loss with its power production as the government of Tripura run Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd. (TSECL) is reluctant to buy power from the plant due to high power cost as compared to other power plants in Tripura.