AGARTALA, Sept 14 (TIWN): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who is master of selling dreams to common people by his dramatic speeches and promises (but no actions) like power surplus Tripura and 100MW Power export to Bangladesh. CM also has a penchant for comparing himself with other tall national leaders though Manik Sarkar’s performance always remained below satisfactory. While talking to TIWN, BJP state president Sudhindra Dasgupta took a jibe at CM and said “Before demanding for Smart City from Centre, Manik should look at the pathetic condition of power of his state”. Day or night, power has no time schedule to go, and loadshedding has badly disrupted business and common lives. Despite of several tall claims by the Power Minister Manik Dey saying that with the commencing of Palatana and with the extension hand of the other power plants of the state, Tripura will be a load-shedding free State, till date the civilians are facing unscheduled load shedding frequently. Unscheduled load-shedding running into hours has landed the people across the State in dire straits. And with the sweltering summer heat, things are proving unbearable for them. Besides, the Monarchak Power plant will remain shut down for prolonged seven months, till the month of March 2016 next.

Reportedly, the shut down has been taken place due to the non-availability of the gas from the ONGC. 

Besides, it has been mentioned that the supply of  gas to the plant was stopped by ONGC from September 8. But reality of daily power-cut miseries show the pathetic life in Tripura. Power Minister Manik Dey, who also is a puppet of CM  and TSECL prefer giving excuses of maintenance works for the reason of frequent power cut.

Where the State Government claims to make the capital a smart city on the other hand they fails to provide the basic necessity that is a load shedding free State. The people of the capital where has to face prolonged hours of load shedding, in the interior parts there are people who are continuing their life in dark for several days.  

For example, in the name of Durga Puja’s work, 11 am to 6 pm there was loadshedding and just after power had come withing 1 hour again load shedding started. This can only happen in Manik’s Golden Era. It’s to be mentioned that this power cut is not limited to only day’s hours., it extends to mid night also. As a result common lives suffer regardless day-night.”The power shortage is increasing and it has already worsened in the last few days”, says Sudhindra.

Not only in summer but during the moderate rainfall the power service gets disrupted in state. At the same time, villages are mostly affected by power cut, many of the people living in villages of the interior part of the state have no access to the electricity grid at all.

“It is easily understandable how we are suffering in this blistering summer with power and drinking water proving elusive,” said another resident.

The hilly and the rural areas are also suffering equally, if not more, with the power supply being frequently disrupted. Besides, the business of most of the traders is being highly affected due to poor supply of power.

“We need uninterrupted power supply to keep things going on in our shop. However, spells of power- cuts are affecting the daily business,” said a shopkeeper.

The unscheduled power cuts are hampering the daily life of the state. The prolonged power cuts even extend till the mid night. Sometimes, the power cut occurs in the mid night itself hampering the daily life of the people.

The shops which are dependent over the powers have to confront pathetic days due to low income as their stomach runs over daily basis of income.

However, this will be a draw back in the supply power to the state. It is now obvious that Tripura is going to be hit badly by power crisis for indefinite months or days as a result the state would face worsen load shedding situation this summer which has brought a scorching heat to hit the daily normal life of the people of the state.