AGARTALA, January 10 (TIWN): “Tripura is running under a massive loss due to the rise in power prices”, said Power Minister Manik Dey recently at the civil secretariat, whereas on the other what made the story interesting is that, recently during an interaction with the reporters here at Gitanjali guest house the Palatana OTPC CMD said that the power company sells power to the state govt. by Rs. 2.50 only and this must be the only cheapest rate with which the company sells power to the North eastern states. Adding feather to the interesting fact it is mentionable here that the Tripura power sector is now under the limelight with the state govt. busy looting the public money at large.The statement of the OTPC CMD Satyajit Ganguly has raised a serious question among the common mass of the state today. He said that the power company sells power to the state govt. by Rs. 2.50, the only cheapest rate. And on the other, Minister Manik Dey recently on his statement said that the state govt. is running under a huge loss due to the rise in power prices.

Even after the installment of the gas based thermal power project the power crisis has halt the state at large with daily load shedding.

And amidst saying that the state govt. is running under a huge loss over the rise of the power prices the power department remained busy collecting the electricity bill from the public or the consumers taking the price to rest at giant figure. 

It could be witnessed that the state electricity department remained busy providing electricity bill to the consumers showing high prices of Rs. 4.50 to Rs. 6.00 per unit. Therefore to mark a big question marks here, if the state govt. is making much profit here taking power from the company with Rs.  2.50 and selling it by Rs. 4.50 to Rs.6.00 than how could the state govt. running in a loss due to the rise in power prices?

“The TSECL had proposed 86 percent hike in power tariff rates. The State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) allowed barely 31 percent which was again reduced to 21 percent by Rs. 40 crore subsidies given by the state government”, said Manik Dey earlier. But to mention here the profit making has become another major business for the state govt. with the consumers suffering at large paying high prices.

Once, Minister Manik Dey also said that if anybody is trying to project it as a hefty profitable trade, it would be mistaken. Therefore to mention here it must be a hefty profitable trade of the state govt. when buying power by Rs. 2.50 from the OTPC, the state govt. is selling it with much expensive rate to the consumers.

However, to mention here, the Central Electricity Act, 2003 mandates that state electricity corporations have to submit annual sale and profit statements to the concerned electricity regulatory commissions based on which the tariff plans for ensuing years would be fixed.

After the generation of power from the second unit of Palatana, Tripura would get 196 MW which would almost remain surplus, a power department official said adding another 96 MW gas based power project at Monarchak in Sipahijala district is likely to be operational this year and then Tripura would incur huge loss if it cannot sell its power.