ADB funded power distribution project completed
AGARTALA: Tripura Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath announced that 95% of the Power Distribution Strengthening Project funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in the state has been completed. He indicated that the installation of smart meters is set to conclude by October this year.
The work under the PM-JANMAN initiative is complete, while the DA-JGUA programme is 90% finished and expected to wrap up by June.
During a review meeting Chaired by Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Development Manohar Lal Khattar and Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha at the State Guest House here Sunday, Nath mentioned that Tripura's peak power demand stands at 542 MW, with an availability of 365 MW, supplemented by 177 MW purchased from the market. He underscored that power availability is largely hampered by gas supply shortages.
The Minister highlighted that the Central Government's financial aid has significantly reduced the AT&C loss from 40% in 2018 to 18.23% currently. In line with the Central Government's directive, the installation of smart meters across the state is progressing, with 3,55,158 consumers already connected and an additional 2,16,144 expected to be hooked up by October.
Nath detailed the installation of prepaid meters in 5,894 government offices and 5,347 stand-alone units, noting that Tripura is the first state in India to implement standalone prepaid meters. A total of 1,59,013 standalone prepaid meters have been deployed.
The Minister reaffirmed that 95% of work aimed at loss reduction under the RDSS scheme is complete, with the remainder to be finalized by July. He reiterated the progress of the Distribution Strengthening project, also funded by the Asian Development Bank, which includes the conversion of a 63 MW open-cycle gas turbine in Rukhia to a 120 MW combined-cycle gas turbine, a project costing Rs 1,320 crore scheduled for completion by March 2029.
It was informed that under the Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana, Tripura has installed 12.11 MW of rooftop solar capacity, with a target of reaching 150 MW.