Agartala: Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) has an outstanding amount of Rs 450 crore in unpaid power bills from consumers.
Around 49 percent of consumers do not pay their bills, said Biswajit Basu, Managing Director of the state-owned power distribution company.
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Briefing media persons at the TSECL headquarters, Basu said, “We have a consumer base of around 10 lakh people across the state. Out of them, 49 percent pay their bills regularly, while the rest do not.”
When asked how long the situation had persisted, he replied, “I joined last year. At that time, only 39 percent of consumers were paying their bills. The situation has improved slightly, now 49 percent pay regularly.”
Basu said that unpaid bills total Rs 450 crore. He added that they are sending personnel door-to-door to persuade consumers to pay on time, but cannot use force.
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Basu stated that TSECL plans to install six lakh smart meters in the first phase and has already installed around 88,000, initially covering government establishments.
Addressing confusion surrounding smart meters, the TSECL MD clarified, “There is absolutely no difference in the measurement units of traditional and smart meters. Consumers can verify this themselves. If necessary, we will conduct demonstrations for their satisfaction.”
It should be noted that smart meters are being installed free of cost.
The senior official also informed the media that they will likely set up an ambitious pump storage project in the Longtharai Valley subdivision.
Basu added, “The project is technically viable. We will need an investment of Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 crore to bring it to fruition.”
TSECL officials also addressed public concerns about inflated power bills, which have drawn criticism, particularly on social media platforms.
An official explained that sundry charges largely cause the inflated bills. “The Electricity Regulatory Commission directs us to charge consumers under the FPPCA (Fuel and Power Purchase Cost Adjustment) mechanism.”
These charges reflect the additional cost incurred by the government to purchase gas for running thermal power projects in Tripura,” the official said.