Agartala, August 21: The Tripura government has announced an additional subsidy of Rs 117.13 crore to the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd (TSECL) to provide relief to consumers following a recent increase in fixed charges in electricity bills.
Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Friday that the state Cabinet approved the additional subsidy on Thursday amid protests and complaints over the rise in electricity bills.
The Tripura Electricity Regulatory Commission increased the fixed charges in June, triggering protests in several parts of the state. Nath said the government assessed the impact on consumers before deciding to provide relief.
With the additional allocation, the government’s total power sector subsidy for the current financial year will rise from Rs 77.57 crore to Rs 194.70 crore. Nath said the government would provide 100 per cent subsidy against the increased fixed charge, shielding consumers from the additional burden.
The minister said Chief Minister Manik Saha had held a high-level meeting to consider measures following the protests and described the decision as an unprecedented step.
Nath also compared electricity tariff increases under the present and previous governments, saying tariffs had risen by 40.42 per cent during the current government’s tenure, while they increased by 116 per cent between 2010-11 and 2017-18 under the previous Left Front government.
The announcement came amid criticism from the CPI(M) and Congress, which accused the government of imposing an “abnormal hike” in electricity bills. Consumers in several areas had also protested by gheraoing TSECL offices and demanding relief.
