AGARTALA, August 22 (TIWN): The Tripura government has demanded for enabling IT system for distribution system in the rural areas of the state under the centrally sponsored Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) scheme iming to improve utility functioning as well as providing better services to consumers.

“Extension of the enabling IT system is required to cover entire state irrespective of rural urban divide,” said State Power Minister Manik Dey.

The demand has come up during the recently concluded North East Regional Power Corporation (NERPC) meeting held at Guwahati where the ministers for power of other northeastern states remained present. The meeting was chaired by Assam Power Minister.

Dey said that consumers not covered under the IT facilities were demanding similar services across the state. He also said that immediate upgradation or capacity augmentation of Common Data Centre at Guwahati and Common DR Centre at Agartala is required in this regard.

“We have also demanded the centre through the NERPC meeting to consider required funding support for this as both DC and DR is a common resource for all northeastern region states,” Dey said briefing the meeting of NERPC held.

However, the system has been implemented under the R-APDRP Scheme in urban areas in the state aiming to provide better services to the consumers.

Dey also pointed out that continuous deterioration in the financial health of state power utilities has become a matter of concern.

This has come up due to increasing gap between supply cost and cost realised, adding Dey further said that state utilities are finding it difficult to recover their cost of supply due to continuous rise in cost of power purchases, fuel, wheeling charges etc.