Agartala: The Tripura government has revealed that Bangladesh owes Rs 161 crore in unpaid electricity bills with the outstanding amount increasing by Rs 135 crore in recent months.
The electricity supply to Bangladesh is governed by a bilateral agreement facilitated by the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN). It oversees cross-border electricity trade on behalf of the Central government.
Notably, Tripura supplies electricity to Bangladesh as part of a 2010 agreement signed between NVVN and the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).
Tripura’s Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that as states are not authorized to engage in international trade directly, so the arrangement was made under central government’s supervision.
The Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL), as per the agreement, provides an average of 60 to 70 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh.
Nath added that while the supply may fluctuate by up to 20%, it has never dipped below 60 MW.
The agreement stipulates that TSECL shall supply a maximum of 160 MW of power to Bangladesh.
However, Bangladesh has been receiving less than this amount, reflecting adjustments based on its actual requirements.
The Tripura government has raised concerns as despite the reduced supply, the dues owed by Bangladesh have continued to increase.
ALSO READ: Reliance Group to explore investment opportunities in Tripura, says CM Saha
Nath claimed that the pending amount is a significant burden on the state’s financial resources. “NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited has been instructed to ensure that Bangladesh clears this outstanding bill. Such delays put pressure on our state’s financial resources,” he added.
