Agartala: The Tripura government has disclosed that Bangladesh owes Rs 161 crore in unpaid electricity bills with the outstanding amount increasing by Rs 135 crore in recent months. The electricity supply to Bangladesh is governed by a bilateral agreement facilitated by the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN) which oversees cross-border electricity trade on behalf of the Government of India.
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Addressing the issue, Tripura’s Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said, “Tripura supplies electricity to Bangladesh as part of a 2010 agreement signed between NVVN and the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).”
“States are not authorized to engage in international trade directly, so this arrangement was made under central government oversight. As per the agreement, Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) provides an average of 60 to 70 megawatts of electricity to Bangladesh. Although the supply may vary by 20% depending on requirements but it has never dropped below 60 MW,” Nath added.
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The agreement obligates TSECL to supply up to 160 MW of power to Bangladesh. However, Bangladesh has been receiving less than this amount, reflecting adjustments based on its actual requirements. Despite the reduced supply, the dues owed by Bangladesh have continued to increase, raising concerns within the Tripura government.
Nath emphasized the gravity of the situation by stating, “The pending amount is a significant burden. NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited has been instructed to ensure that Bangladesh clears this outstanding bill. Such delays put pressure on our state’s financial resources.”
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The minister also touched upon the political climate in Bangladesh by saying, “While Bangladesh is currently under the rule of a fundamentalist organization, Tripura has not stopped fulfilling its commitments under the agreement. We have maintained the supply of electricity in good faith and as per the terms agreed upon.”
This development has sparked debate among intellectuals and political observers. Some have called for an immediate halt to power supplies to Bangladesh until the dues are cleared. Others have linked the issue to recent incidents in Bangladesh including attacks on Hindu minorities and the arrest of ISKCON monk Chinmoy Krishna Das.
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