By Firstdespatch Desk Aug 22, 2026
Agartala, Aug 22 (FD) Former Power Minister and senior CPI(M) leader Manik Dey on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Tripura government, alleging that consumers are being burdened with exorbitant electricity bills while the state’s own power-generation capacity and distribution infrastructure continue to deteriorate.
Addressing a press conference here, Dey claimed that the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL), which had fixed deposits of around ₹300 crore during the previous Left Front government, is now facing a revenue deficit of nearly ₹1,700 crore. He demanded that the government explain what he described as the drastic deterioration in the financial condition of the state-owned power utility.
Dey said Tripura was once known as a load-shedding-free state, but prolonged and frequent power disruptions have now become a major concern. The outages, he alleged, are also affecting drinking water supply and causing hardship to people in different parts of the state.
While technical faults are often cited as the reason behind the disruptions, Dey alleged that the government has failed to find a permanent solution. He further claimed that Tripura’s dependence on electricity purchased from outside the state has increased due to a decline in indigenous power generation.
According to him, the Baramura power plant, which earlier generated around 42 MW, is now producing only about 18 MW, while the Rokhia plant had previously generated approximately 60 to 62 MW. The decline in local generation, he alleged, has increased the cost of purchasing power from external sources, with the financial burden ultimately being passed on to consumers through higher electricity bills.
Dey also criticised recent electricity-sector reforms and certain central policies, alleging that they were creating financial difficulties for state-owned power utilities while benefiting private companies.
Questioning the ongoing installation of smart meters, he said around 50,000 such meters had been installed on a trial basis during the Left Front regime without major public complaints. He questioned why widespread protests have emerged now if the technology itself had not created significant problems earlier.
The CPI(M) leader further alleged that the government was citing a “regulatory gap” to justify higher power bills. While public protests had compelled the government to announce certain relief measures, he maintained that temporary reductions would not address the underlying problems.
Dey called for strengthening Tripura’s power-generation and distribution infrastructure, improving TSECL’s financial health and restoring the state’s earlier level of self-reliance in the power sector. FD JK