Bangladesh owes Rs 135 crore to Tripura for power trade, asked to pay unpaid bills immediately

Bangladesh currently owes an alarming Rs 135 crore in electricity dues to Tripura under an agreement facilitated by NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd. Tripura has urged for the immediate settlement of the pending amount. The demand comes amid rising communal tensions between both the nations.

According to a report by Times of India (TOI), Tripura's power minister, Ratan Lal Nath, addressed the issue on Sunday, explaining, "Though Rs 135 crore is outstanding, Bangladesh has been making the payments regularly. For each unit of power, we are charging Rs 6.65, which is a decent rate compared with the one we get from domestic connections."

Also read: Nearly 1.5 lakh employees in tech lost jobs in 2024; Intel, Tesla, Microsoft among hardest hit

Back in May 2024, Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) took a drastic step, limiting power supply to Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) due to non-payment. The failure to meet payment deadlines over the past year has significantly increased the outstanding dues.

Managing Director of TSECL, Debasish Sarkar, expressed his frustration with the situation and said, "The BPDB owes more than Rs 1 crore to Tripura State Electricity Corporation. We are trying hard to make sure that the payment is streamlined but there seem to be some financial issues. We have written letters to the Bangladesh authorities. I have personally met the chairman of the Bangladesh Power Development Board. The power minister has also spoken to the Union Power Ministry so that the issues could be resolved as early as possible. The TSECL is also facing tough times financially because of the spiking outstanding amount."

The deal between the two nations entitles Bangladesh to receive 160 megawatts of power from Tripura, a trade managed under the supervision of NVVN (NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam). However, Bangladesh's repeated failure to pay the dues in a timely manner has created a ripple effect on the financial stability of Tripura's state-run electricity corporation.

Sarkar further noted, "We have also spoken to the NVVN to make sure that the timely payment is made," and revealed that Bangladesh had been paying the dues in installments, which has caused a disruption in Tripura’s financial flow.

The growing payment delays come at a time when Tripura is grappling with its own power supply issues. "Generation of power in Tripura-based power plants dropped by 60 to 70 megawatts. We used to be a power-surplus state, but now we are purchasing power from exchange to cope with the rising domestic demand. If all the power plants generate power to the optimum level, we would have been in a better position. Lack of gas also hindered the power generation in the thermal power projects," explained Sarkar, outlining the complex situation Tripura faces in managing both domestic needs and international obligations.

Also read: Filmy-style heist on camera: 2 masked men barge into petrol pump, loot Rs 4 lakh cash at gunpoint in UP| WATCH

For more reliable and latest news subscribe to Asianet Newsable WhatsApp channel by clicking here.For more reliable and latest news subscribe to Asianet Newsable Telegram channel by clicking here.

• Bangladesh crisis
• Bangladesh electricity
• Bangladesh power dues
• TSECL
• Tripura
• power trade agreement
• tripura tells bangladesh to pay power dues