AGARTALA, Sept 16 (TIWN): Tripura’s grave power-cut scenario sliding into further darkness due to various technical problems prevailing within the power plants followed by insufficient gas supplies by ONGC. Minister Manik Dey while talking to TIWN said, electricity problem hit hard in state due to the problems of Tripura based power plants. He added, Baramura power plant is producing 30 MW, whereas it was expected to produce atleast 42 MW. Moreover Palatana Power plant is also going to shut down for 6 days due to maintence work of Gas Pipe line expectedly from September 29th. Surprisingly,OTPC MD Mukul Banerjee while talking to TIWN, declined to mention any problem within Palatana Power Plant. OTPC General Manager Mukul Banerjee said, “Presently Palatana Power Plant has no problems at all and its running very smoothly”. It’s to be mentioned that another plant namely Monarchak power plant has already declared to be shut down for seven months. Till March 2016 it would remain shut down due to the unavailability of gas from ONGC. However, the Rokhia and Baramura gas-based power plants in Tripura was tow converted into the combined cycle mode to generate additional power without using extra fuel, Tripura Power Minister Manik Dey earlier told media. The NEEPCO, which runs under the Union Power ministry, is commissioning a 101-MW gas-based thermal power plant at Monarchak. But till date no positive development has come from Monarchak, so that NE state Tripura would get a relief from continuous load-shedding.

The power problem is here in state Tripura seems a never ending issue. Either due to plant or due to maintenance work, problems are continued and common people’s misery would never end. And OTPC which was promised to produced to 726 MW, but it’s failed to produce 500 MW also regularly. Moreover, shut-down of Units is a very common issue over there.

But talking another Palatana official, he simply neglected by saying that “till now we do not have such information that OTPC is going for shut down as Durga Puja is coming near”. He also added that Unit 1 of Palatana may go for maximum 2/3 days shut down before Puja but it will be only with the Unit 1, whether Unit 2 just have been started, so no point for shut-down of Unit 2.

It’s to be mentioned that Ministers words and administrative words do not match at all while gathering information for Plants but the actual sufferer are the common people, who yet to see Tripura as a “Load-Shedding-Free” state, earlier promised by Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

Presently all the Power Plants are suffering due to various reasons: whether it would be for maintenance work or insufficient gas supplies. On the other hand Tripura is suffering due to load-shedding, but CM Manik Sarkar kept on promising to supply 100 MW power to Bangladesh.

Mukul Banerjee also said, media should take notes from official websites to find out how much the Plants are producing. Shockingly, in a state like Tripura where Ministers and officials words varies while giving data, how can its websites help public to get the actual data?