Bangladesh owes Tripura ₹200 crore in unpaid electricity bills: CM Manik Saha

Tripura awaits ₹200 crore from Bangladesh for electricity supply, no decision yet on halting power.

“Bangladesh owes Tripura ₹200 crore in electricity dues but no decision has been taken on halting power supply to the neighbouring country yet,” Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Monday (December 23, 2024.)

Tripura supplies 60-70 megawatts of power to Bangladesh according to an agreement signed by the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited through the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited with the Bangladesh Power Development Board.

"Bangladesh has not paid us about ₹200 crore for supplying electricity. The outstanding (amount) is increasing every day. We hope that they will clear their dues so that the power supply is not disrupted," Mr. Saha told PTI in an interview.

Asked whether the Tripura Government would stop the supply of electricity if Dhaka fails to pay the dues, the Chief Minister said no decision has been taken on it yet.

He said several pieces of machinery at the power generation plant in Tripura were brought through either Bangladeshi territory or Chittagong port. Therefore, out of gratitude, the Tripura Government started supplying power to the country following a pact.

"But I don't know how long we will be able to continue the supply of electricity to Bangladesh if they don't clear the dues," he said.

Tripura began supplying power to Bangladesh in March 2016. The electricity is produced at the State-owned ONGC Tripura Power Company's (OTPC) gas-based 726 MW generation capacity power plant in southern Tripura's Palatana.