Agartala: Union minister for power, housing and urban affairs Manohar Lal Khattar flagged financial losses in the power sector during a review meeting in Tripura and directed officials to identify and curb illegal electricity connections, stressing better planning to meet future energy demand.Khattar asked officials to improve the quality and reliability of electricity services across the state, ensure uninterrupted supply, and review the progress of centrally funded power infrastructure projects. The meeting also discussed modernising power infrastructure, reducing transmission losses and improving service delivery in urban and rural areas.He appreciated Tripura’s reduction in power transmission losses over the past seven years. Official records showed Aggregate Technical and Commercial losses fell to 18.23% this year from 40% in 2018.Tripura power minister Ratan Lal Nath told Khattar that about 3.55 lakh consumers have been connected to smart meters and the remaining 2.16 lakh consumers will be covered in the next six months. Nath said the state is prioritising power sector revamp and expansion of solar energy.Nath said Tripura’s current maximum power demand is 542 MW against availability of 365 MW, requiring the state to buy 177 MW from the power market. He said the state is targeting solar power to bridge the gap and reduce dependence on conventional sources.“There are 5,347 stand-alone prepaid meters in Tripura, and the state is the only state in India where prepaid meters have been installed first. We shall install a total of 1,59,013 stand-alone prepaid meters in the state, as part of the power sector development mission,” Nath stated.Nath said distribution strengthening work is underway with Asian Development Bank assistance, and that the state has converted a 63 MW open-cycle gas turbine into a 120 MW combined-cycle gas turbine at a cost of Rs 1,320 crore.He said 12.11 MW of rooftop solar has been installed under the Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana against a target of 150 MW. Nath also outlined a roadmap to expand generation capacity, aiming for 300 MW by next year, citing the state’s highest recorded electricity demand of 270 MW on May 21.Khattar announced Central support exceeding Rs 427 crore for Tripura’s urban infrastructure and power sector to improve civic amenities and strengthen energy capacity. He said the Centre has allocated Rs 100 crore for a scientific waste management project for Agartala.Khattar said Tripura has proposed urban infrastructure projects worth Rs 1,200 crore under the Urban Challenge Projects Fund, with Rs 300 crore each from the Centre and the state, and the remaining Rs 600 crore to be mobilised through financial institutions.
