AGARTALA, June 2 (TIWN): Tripura’s power generation scenario hitting further obstacles as Power Minister Manik Dey to ONGC authorities chosen to ignore the ground realities. Due to ONGC’s erratic gas supplies, NEEPCO Monarchak 101 MW gas based Power Plant left with no other option than shutting down plant over 10 days. ONGC reduced gas supply without any prior information, which causing NEECPO power generation infeasible. NEEPCO General Manager Samar Ranjan Biswas while talking to TIWN said, “We are just sitting as the project heads, but nothing is in our hand. “Unless and until ONGC will start gas supplying, we cannot do anything”, he said.Asking about the permanent solution in this issue, he said, “We can hope for a permanent solution, but there is no hope presently as ONGC is not confirming anything, neither they are interested to talk in this issue with enough patience.

 As a result, we are just relying upon time”. "There is no guarantee that once the 101MW Monarchak plant power generation resumes,  then there will not be any shut-down further”, he added.

It’s to be mentioned here that NEEPCO is suffering due to apathy of State Govt as State is no co-ordinating gas supply deliveries with ONGC,in addition State Govt agencies like TSECL (Tripura State Electric Supply Corp. Ltd) not paying massive dues amounting to over Rs 180 crores to NEEPCO.

As a result, NEEPCO is undergoing massive losses solely due to lack of gas supply and non-payment of hundreds of crores bills.

Tripura power dept. too unable to clear bills as it’s under huge financial crisis. Tripura couldn’t clear the bill of 180.33 crores to NEEPCO, which brought huge embarrassment for Minister Manik Dey led Tripura Power Dept and accumulating losses for NEEPCO.

Even though NEEPCO had permitted TSECL’s request to aloow more time to clear bills, Manik Sarkar Govt.’s lack of co-operation has left the NEEPCO project management hopeless.

On the one hand, Tripura is suffering from power crisis and on the other hand, Tripura’s Govt. not paying bills to power plants, and Public sector Plant are facing hard times for an uncertain period of time.

It’s to be mentionedtat, there are 5 gas basedplants in Tripura, however due to lack of ONCG’s regular gas supplies, Tripura is reeling under load-shedding even though Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, Power Minister Manik Dey acts like ‘Erstwhile Maharajas’ donating power to foreign countries like Bangladesh.

Needless to say,  Communism equals to massive suffering of common people in Tripura due to lameduck attitude of CPI-M Ministers.