AGARTALA, June 20 (TIWN): NEEPCO’s 101MW gas based Tripura Unit is undergoing commercial losses due to unscheduled shut down and non-payment of massive dues to NEEPCO and OTPC Palatana which resulting power-cuts across State. Tripura Govt.yet to pay longstanding dues of atleast Rs. 180.33 crores to NEEPCO and few more hundred crores to OTPC. Tripura State Electrical Corporation Limited (TSECL) paid only Rs. 5 crore to NEEPCO whereas at least Rs 35 crores more was required to prevent power cuts after March 31,2016. NEEPCO’s mercy gave TSECL additional time, even though TSECL failed to meet cash crunch. NEEPCO GM S R Biswas while talking to TIWN regarding TSECL pending bills, GM said ‘There are issues of over 180 crores unpaid bills, due to which there are some commercial crisis that NEEPCO is facing”. But TSECL MD S K Roy while talking to TIWN said, “Govt. is trying to pay the bill and it is not that we are not interested paying to NEEPCO, OTPC Palatana”. Asking about reason for such long-standing pending bills of TSECL to NEEPCO he said, “Not only NEEPCO, we have to pay every plant.

There are also unpending bills which we will have to pay to Palatana OTPC and other plants’. But TSECL MD avoided mentioning any timeline for payment of massive dues to plants.

TSECL MD in an attempt to hide govt’s failure to clear dues, he said “Other states are also to pay to NEEPCO, not only Tripura”.

‘Many Govt. depts needs to pay their power bill to TSECL and then only TSECL can clear the bill fully’, added Roy.

It’s worthy to mention here that since a month, Tripura’s 101 MW gas based Monarchak power plant is undergoing full shut down as ONGC has stopped gas supply fully, without informing NEEPCO project heads of the state, about the possible resuming date.

But the power dept. has no concern about it, instead of huge unpaid bills to NEEPCO, govt. has no cooperative mentality with power plants in state.

If it goes like this, then days are not so far that the plants will stop the power supply to Tripura.

Tripura government, which claimed years ago that the state would be power-surplus after the commissioning of 726.6MW thermal plant at Palatana in Udaipur sub-division, now confronts a threat of massive power shortage as the state failed to clear overall Rs 180. 30 crores dues of NEEPCO.

NEEPCO dues from the state government had accumulated since 2013 as despite repeated reminders, no payment was made.  "The principal amount was Rs 40-42 crore but there has been interest accrual along with rise in the principal amount.

NEEPCO sold about 100MW power to Tripura from  Rookhia, Ramchandra Nagar and Barmura units with a cost of Rs 10-12 crore. If the amount was paid on time, NEEPCO offered a rebate of  2 per cent. A delay of one month in payment reduced the rebate to 1 per cent but after the expiry of due date, the interest is 18%, as per the terms and conditions of power plants---which was signed by Tripura Govt Power Dept, TSECL and Plant officials.

Moreover, in the past, the state had sought a discount and NEEPCO had agreed to give a lumpsum discount of Rs 24 crore but this has not helped as no payment has been made bt Tripura Govt. On March 31,2016 the last day of the financial year, the TSECL authority repaid only Rs 5 crore but this would not help as payment of Rs 35 crore more was required.

Now with all the due payments to power plants and TSECL’s financial crunch, State Govt corruption resulting acute power crisis in state and a dark future of Tripura.