AGARTALA, Feb 3 ? Darkness looms large over the State following the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation?s (NEEPCO decision to regulate power supply to the defaulter states. There is huge amount of outstanding dues of Tripura and other northeastern States to the NEEPCO accumulated over the last few years. Chief Engineer (Power), Ajit Kumar Debnath said, the State?s outstanding dues to the NEEPCO stands over Rs 50 crore accumulated over the past one year. A considerable amount of the required power in Tripura is met by the NEEPCO power from its 84 MW RKNagar power plant.
?However, we are yet to receive official communication in this regard to the NEEPCO decision to regulate the power supply,? Debnath added. Due to non-payment of the outstanding dues by the State power bodies, NEEPCO not only faces problem in payment of salaries of its staff but also defaulted with payments for purchase of gas from the ONGC and GAIL.
Debnath said, the State Government purchase about 14-15 megawatts daily from the NEEPCO unit at R K Nagar and is one of the primary source of power. He hoped the State Government would pay up the outstanding amount if any communication is conveyed by the NEEPCO. It may be mentioned here that at present the State generates about 50-55 Megawatts of power though the demand of power is 130 MW or more during the peak hours. The shortage is met through hours long loadshedding. If the NEEPCO, which supplies more than 50 total energy requirement to the northeastern State, stops power supply, the entire State will plunge into darkness, engineers of the State power department observes.