AGARTALA, March 4 (TIWN): Where the state is reeling with poor power production in the state due to numerous problems, promises of providing 100MW power to Bangladesh is high.If everything falls in place, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the project of 100 MW power transmissions to Bangladesh through Video conferencing.

Bangladesh will start receiving 100 MW of power from Tripura's 726 MW gas based thermal power project at Palatana in Gomati district from March 23, a source said.The source also said that Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has also invited Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar to remain present at the function.Pricing of one unit of power was fixed at Rs 5.50 during a meeting between Power Minister Manik Dey and Bangladesh Minister of State for Power, Nasirul Hamid on January 9 last in Dhaka.Bangladesh cooperated with India for using its waterways for transportation of heavy machines from Kolkata to Agartala before installation of the Palatana power project in Gomati district, about 60 km from here.

Power Grid Corporation of India Limited erected 47 km long 400 KV double circuit transmission lines from Suryamaninagar Power Grid, near here to Comilla in Bangladesh. The 726 MW gas based thermal power project at Palatana in Gomati district would be run by ONGC Tripura Power Corporation (OTPC).

Reportedly, The Centre in consultation with the Tripura government had decided to sell 100MW power after the Bangladesh government allowed free transhipment of heavy turbines for the 726.6MW Palatana thermal power plant.

About 143 towers are set up for 47 kilometer long transmission lines up to South Comilla of Bangladesh. About Rs 250 crore is utilized to complete the transmission lines.

For power transmission and supply, 47km of power cable lines are being set up to connect Surjyamani Nagar in southern Agartala with southern part of Comilla town in Bangladesh. In Tripura, there will be 17km of transmission lines while the remaining 29km lines will be within Bangladesh.

In Tripura, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited has laid the transmission lines while in the neighbouring country a local company has carried out the work.

The total expense for construction of transmission lines and towers is of Rs 250 crore, of which Rs 83 crore is for construction in Tripura.

Although the ruling government never lag behind to boast that Tripura will supply excess power to Bangladesh but never takes any initiative to pay the pending bill the power plant based in Tripura.