AGARTALA, March 23 (TIWN): The much awaited project of India's third Internet gateway and transmission of 100MW to Bangladesh from Tripura after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bangladeshi Premier Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the connectivity project between the two South Asian neighbours on Wednesday. However, Tripura CM Manik Sarkar appreciated the bonding between both the countries. Breaking the boundaries both the neighbouring countries has kicked off the much awaited project in the state on Wednesday through video conferencing. Improved border management, increased trade with Bangladesh, Line of Credit, increased energy transfers; bilateral cooperation in Railways and Maitree Express vitalizes the fact that India Bangladesh relationship is a two-way street. With development in trade, market access, power, border management, development cooperation, infrastructure, man to man direct communication has given boost to the friendship of the Indo-Bangla relationship.

The bonding of Tripura and Bangladesh has hit the headlines when both the countries have created a moment of history with the inauguration of the 100MW power to Bangladesh and commencement of internet bandwidth service from Bangladesh to Tripura.

It is to be mentioned here that union Communication and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad laid the foundation stone for an international internet gateway through Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.

 Agartala, Tripura's capital city, is now the third international internet gateway in India after Mumbai and Chennai.

India-Bangladesh surplus under-sea internet bandwidth (10 Gbps) sale agreement was signed during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic June 2015 visit to Dhaka in presence of Hon. Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina

India and Bangladesh signed pact on sharing Internet bandwidth as a result of which the submarine cable providing Net to Bangladesh will travel to Agartala from Cox's Bazar via Brahmanbaria. 

Bangladesh has agreed to sell off its unused submarine Internet bandwidth to India's state owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for $ 1.2 million (Rs 7.7 crores) a year.

The agreement will be for four years and India will gain 10 Gbps (gigabits per second) bandwidth in the first year with a provision for this to go up to 40 Gbps per second in the subsequent years.

On the other hand Tripura on Wednesday officially began the supply of 100 MW of electricity to Bangladesh from the gas-based palatana power plant from Tripura at ₹5.50 a unit more or less identical to the weighted average generation tariff of 6.50 in Bangladesh. India currently supplies 500 MW to Dhaka through the West Bengal border.

Reportedly, The 100 MW power is dispatched to Bangladesh from Suryamaninagar power sub-station at the outskirts of Agartala and for transmission of 100 MW power, the works on transmission lines is completed on 400 KV double circuit transmission lines. 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 inBangladesh. In Tripura, there are 17km of transmission lines while the remaining 29km is in 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.