AGARTALA, Oct 3 (TIWN): In yet another shock from Manik Sarkar ruled State Govt., which boasts Tripura soon to be a ‘Load-shedding free state’ is actually under huge debt of over Rs 100 crores to Power Generating Plants which are Public Sector Companies, huge bills remained unpaid to the Power Plants based in Tripura. Even though Minister Manik Dey prefers to blame the Power Plants for State’s power crisis, falsely blaming Plants insufficient power generation causing frequent load-sheddings in the state, but in reality TSECL (Tripura State Electricity Corporation) is yet to clear pending bills of at least Rs 100 crores to Power Plants of Tripura, amongst them pending bills to Palatana Power Plant(OTPC) is the highest. While talking to TSECL MD Shyamal Roy, TIWN unearthed these due amounts to power plants which stands over Rs.100 crores, these amounts supposed to be paid by TSECL long back. TSECL MD S Roy while talking to TIWN said, “dues are pending, piling up as rural people are not paying their bills properly here in the state”. He added, “Govt. will surely pay the pending bills, and presently we are trying to collect the money from the villages where people do not pay their bills”.

Roy also mentioned the hook lines used by the villagers has hit the state hard and responsible for power crisis. Tripura Govt. is trying to provide power supply at cheap rate to people, causing huge loss to Govt, as a result dues are pending which has stood at least Rs. 100 crores”.“It is very true that a huge amount of dues are to be paid by the State Govt to Power Plants.”, said Roy.The unpaid bills has put the govt. into this huge loss, said Roy. 

Few key official sources of OTPC and other Plants said that although at cheapest rate Power plants are providing power to State, but over Rs 100 crores money is still unpaid by State Govt , which resulting in Plant’s dismal performance.  

But when TIWN asked TSECL MD Shyamal Roy the question, in reply he said, “The plants are doing nothing extra favour to Tripura. Alike 7 states, Tripura is also getting the same benefits”. He also alleged that, “Tripura also provided land to many Plants like OTPC, from where they are getting the profit by supplying power to the grid, and thus shares power with 7 NE states”. He further mentioned that, “Assam Govt. is getting the highest benefit amongst the 7 states of North Eastern, where the Power Grid is supplying from Tripura based OTPC”.

However, asking about the frequent load-shedding over the state, he said, “Presently the biggest plant of Tripura, at Palatana is undergoing load-shedding due to their gas-line maintenance work”.

It is to be mentioned after Palatana has undergone scheduled maintenance for 6 days, but Minister Manik Dey told TIWN that 3 plants are running “pretty well”: Baramura, Rokhia & Dumboor.

But it’s worthy to mention that Palatana has gone for shutdown since 4 days only, whether load-shedding here in State is a problem from decades.

However, the clashes among Power Plants & TSECL is existing since years. TIWN also had series of news items blaming plants many times based on Minister Manik Dey’s biased words. Then an email from a high official of Tripura based plant came to Tripurainfoway.com, where it was asked, “Sir, your news media always publishes news about load shedding due to Power Generation issues in Tripura. Did you ask any TSECL higher up any time that, how many crores of dues are pending to be paid to Power Generators by TSECL or Tripura Government for cheapest power supplied to Tripura?”

The same question when TIWN correspondent asked the MD of TSECL then in reply he said, “Tripura Govt. is in debts of Rs. 100 crores at least as of date”.