AGARTALA, April 16 (TIWN): CPI-M Govt’s 2013 election poll planks, false promises of ‘load-shedding free Tripura’ based on OTPC Palatana power production yet to bring relief from scorching heat in 2016 summer.Chief Minister Manik Sarkar’s failure to manage power situation in Tripura due to lack of advance planning and management once again proved with the OTPC plant, the single largest plant with the investment of approximately $575m once again going for shut down from April 18, for at least for 10 days. TIWN spoke to TSECL CMD Shyamal K Roy , over phone he confirmed, “OTPC’s both the Units are going for shut down from Monday, April 18for 10 days”. Earlier Minister Manik Dey confirmed that OTPC Palatana will be shut down for scheduled maintenance. “The shut down is necessary for the maintenance of Gas Pipe Lines, but the work might be delayed at least for few days. It’s to be mentioned that including other power plants of Tripura like NEEPCO, Palatana power plant is badly suffering from production outage since its commissioning of both Units.

Earlier it was boasted by CM Manik Sarkar himself that with Palatana’s Unit I & II inauguration, Tripura will be called a load-shedding free state, but in reality after years of passing Palatana Power Plant is badly failing to generate the actual power which it promised to produce earlier to keep State load-shedding free.

From President Pranab Mukharjee to PM Modi visited Palatana Power Plant in its different inauguration progarammes. Although CM shared the dais with them in all the programmes, but till day he has failed to bring any change in Tripura’s daily misery of load-shedding.  

Although Palatana supposed to produce 726 MW but the average production is very poor, but the officials usually claims that the average production here at Palatana is 500 MW atleast.

Whether Minister Manik Dey claims due to production failure or lack gas supply to these plants Tripura is suffering from acute power crisis, officials of Palatana claimed that after generating production they  supply the production it to North East power grid, then no more it remains in their hands, it’s the TSECL which should buy power to keep state loadshedding-free .  

Whether state Tripura is suffering due to everyday load-shedding, CM Manik Sarkar’s day-dream never ends because of  which 100 MW power supply started to Bangladesh. After destroying a huge forest-land at Palatana and Manik Sarkar's endless boasting of a load-shedding free state, Tripura has not seen any progress. Govt. and OTPC both are not ready to accept the fact.

OTPC, was set up with a joint venture company of ONGC, IL&FS Energy Development Co. Ltd. and Govt. of Tripura, with 726.6 MW capacity combined cycle gas turbine based Mega Power Project , with the objective of utilizing huge reserve of natural gas for Tripura’s development, which had been lying idle for want of adequate market in the region.