Tripura minister Ratan Lal Nath demands reduction of gas price for power generation

AGARTALA: Tripura power minister Ratan Lal Nath, addressed the North Eastern Power Ministers' conference in Guwahati on Tuesday, chaired by union power minister Manohar Lal Khattar. Nath brought attention to the significant increase in gas prices, which have risen from USD 2.90 in 2022 to USD 6.50 per Metric Million British Thermal Unit (MMBTU), impacting the state's electricity production costs. He appealed to the Ministry of Power and Petroleum Ministry to consider measures to reduce gas prices.

Minister requested support for a major renovation in Tripura's power sector, proposing the establishment of a 400 KV substation at Suryamaninagar in Agartala with full funding from the center and in additionally Nath requested the union minister to set up a state of art training centre in Tripura, where it has been decided that Tripura and Nagaland will receive special grants for this infrastructure.

He also emphasized the need for an 800 MW pump storage facility in the Langtarai Valley subdivision in Dhalai, the state's aspirational district.


Nath sought central support amounting to Rs 1000 Cr for Tripura's intra-state transmission requirements by 2030. He also called for the reinstatement of the Power System Development Fund to support power sector advancements and requested the immediate start of the fund for Northeastern states, with the central group assuring an analysis of the matter for the Northeast.

Addressing future energy needs, Nath raised the issue of establishing pumped storage by the National Hydro Power Corporation in the Langtarai subdivision, emphasizing the project's importance in enhancing power generation capacity. He highlighted the ongoing preparation of project reports for this initiative.

Nath provided an overview of Tripura's current power landscape, noting the state's peak demand of 360 MW and its role as a key exporter of electricity to Bangladesh, ranging from 90 MW to 160 MW. With a per-capita consumption of 471 kWh, Tripura caters to a predominantly domestic consumer base, constituting 89% of its total 9,99,819 consumers.

Expressing appreciation for the central government, Nath highlighted the substantial financial assistance secured by Tripura, including a Rs 2275 crore agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for the Tripura Power Distribution Strengthening and Generation Efficiency Project. Additional initiatives like the Revamped Reformed-based Result-linked Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) and PM-JANMAN aim to enhance operational efficiency and provide electricity connections to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups households, notably the Reang community.