AGARTALA, May 2 (TIWN): Tripura is being hit by acute power shortage causing great sufferings to the common masses even at excessive hit wave . Everyday almost day power cuts occur for more than two or three times and that too during day time . TSECL CMD S K Roy , a few days before , told TIWN over phone that there wont be any problem for power as TSECL would purchase required power from outside to meet the power crisis. It is to be mentioned here that from 23rd April complete shut down is going on OTPC's 726.6MW power plant at Palatana . It is part of Performance Guarantee Test to be done after 10000 hours of continuous operation . And OTPC accordingly informed TSECL and Gov't of Tripura about this shut down . Accordingly TSECL should have been well prepared about it. But speaking to TIWN on Sunday Power Minister Manik Dey declined to have any problem about power shortage . He told this correspondent ," There is no problem with power crisis in the state right now . Power supply is okay ." But when asked the reason about the 10 to12 hr long load-shedding being faced by most parts of the state , Ministers's lame excuse is ," These days work is undergoing on power lines. That's why power supply needs to be cut off . We can't stop work ".

Actually the fact is TSECL is failing to clear the dues over Rs 400 crores to OTPC or NEEPCO for purchasing power .

It is due to the non-clearance of pending bills even after the deadline being given to TSECL , OTPC and NEEPCO wont provide power as per TSECL's demand. 

At present TSECL has more than 180 crores of pending bills to NEEPCO alone.

Interestingly domestic consumers are to bear the additional burden of hike in tariffs done by TSECL and state gov't .

 Fact is that most of the Gov't departments too has huge amount of dues of electricity bills to TSECL till date .

State gov't seems to be uninterested to issue notices to these departments to clear all the pending bills to TSECL for some mysterious reasons .

At the same time in rural and in some cases in urban areas too power theft can't be stopped . TSECL too can't take any strong step against those thieves because majority of power thieves enjoys political influence .

However, the fate of the common masses are really horrible . Even it is extremely difficult for officials to carry on with their regular works in such excessive hit.

From Friday onwards till Monday morning,  most the banks in North, South District and Gomati district failed to give services to the people coming to the bank due to power crisis. 

Tripura's 'poor' Chief Minister Manik Sarkar lives in the luxary of uninterrupted power at his official bunglow to air-conditioned secretariat but common people are the victim of  CPI-M Govt's misrule.