Agartala: Without power, development is not possible, and for that, the Power Department is working to modernize the power sector to provide uninterrupted power supply across the state.
Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath informed this after laying the foundation stone for the reconductoring of HTLS Conductors of nine 132 kV transmission lines at a function in Bodhjung Nagar, adjacent to Agartala city. A total of Rs 126 crore 33 lakh will be spent on this project.
Tripura Power Transmission Limited (TPTL) has taken the initiative to modernize the power transmission system in Tripura with the financial assistance of the Special Infrastructure Development Project of the DoNER Ministry.
Speaking at the function, the Power Minister said that as a result, the power supply system will be more efficient and improved.
The Power Minister said that this initiative has been taken keeping in mind the goal that the state’s electricity demand will increase to 700 MW in the 2031-32 financial year. He said that before 2018, there were 12 132 KV substations, and now there are 20 in the last seven years, with work for two more underway. The 33 KV substations were 44 and are now 75.
“We are working to provide 24 hours of power, but now we are giving 23 hours, and due to many reasons including power theft, overloading, and storms, we fail to give uninterrupted supply,” said the minister.
He said that if we shut down schools for three days, there will be no major problem, but if we do the same with electricity, then there will be a huge problem.
“Earlier trains used to run on coal, but now on diesel; however, this hampers the environment. But now trains will be electric, which will be inaugurated at Agartala Railway Station on August 27. The entire line will be electric, and vehicles will also be electric. There will be no gas or diesel-based vehicles. We are not depending on solar. We are now changing lines, and within one year, the entire work will be completed. These nine lines will be changed, and for that, demand will be saved. We are giving PM Surya Ghar as we are dependent on gas, which is about to finish,” said the Power Minister.
He also informed that the government will do everything, but you have to be self-reliant.
“Now the entire world is following Swami Vivekananda. We have to adopt modern facilities. Smart meters are one among them, which will be beneficial for everyone,” said the Minister.
These nine power lines are: Bodhjung Nagar to Surya Maninagar, Surya Maninagar to Surya Mani Nagar Lilo Point, Surya Mani Nagar to Bodhjung Nagar, P.K. Bari to P K Bari Lilo Point, Ambassa to Manu via PK Bari, P K Bari to Kumarghat, Ambassa to Kamalpur, Rukhia to Udaipur, and Rabindranagar to Nipco Manarchak.
MLA Ratan Chakraborty, Chairperson of Old Agartala Panchayat Samiti Jharna Rani Das, Shantipara Gram Panchayat Pradhan Gopa Das, R.K. Nagar Gram Panchayat Pradhan Anu Chandra Das, MD of TSECL Biswajit Basu, and General Manager of TPTL Ranjan Debbarma were present.
