TSECL's Power Tariff Hike Sparks Outrage: Experts Blame Mismanagement, Political Pressure & Inaction Against Defaulters
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, July 12, 2025
The Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) has once again raised electricity tariffs, triggering massive backlash among the state’s honest consumers. Energy experts, consumer groups, and common citizens are questioning the logic of increasing power bills year after year, especially when over 52% of consumers are not even paying their bills amounting to more than Rs 450 crores of dues.
The controversy intensified after Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath and the TSECL Managing Director Biswajit Basu, both publicly admitted that more than half of the state’s electricity consumers are defaulters. Yet, no substantial legal or punitive action has been initiated against them. Instead, authorities have passed the burden onto honest bill payers through frequent tariff hikes.
Renowned Journalist Sekhar Datta, commenting on the issue, said,“this is a clear case of administrative failure and political compromise. You cannot expect the 48% genuine consumers to continue paying for the 52% defaulters. TSECL must use the Electricity Act to disconnect defaulting connections and install prepaid or smart meters aggressively.”
According to records, power tariffs increased by 94% during the last 7 years of the CPI(M) rule, whereas under the BJP government from 2018 to 2025, the increase has touched 25% ,almost more than double. Despite this, energy theft, poor billing efficiency, and unpaid bills remain rampant.
Another energy sector expert, Journalist Jayanta Debnath, added,
“RDSS funds were meant to modernize power distribution and reduce losses, not to burden consumers. If TSECL cannot reduce Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses, which include theft and unpaid bills, then it must be held accountable. Constant tariff hikes are not a solution.”
Consumers across Agartala and beyond are now openly demanding action. Many took to social media and local forums, questioning why politically influential defaulters are spared, while genuine consumers suffer repeated hikes. One protester in Post Office Chowmuhani said,
“If the corporation cannot collect dues from defaulting households and commercial units, let them shut down. Why punish those who pay on time?”
There are also concerns that TSECL’s reluctance to act firmly against defaulters is rooted in political favouritism. A senior retired official from TSECL, requesting anonymity, revealed “t
here are many large-scale consumers backed by local leaders who haven’t paid bills for years. But no officer dares to touch them. Instead, the pressure is passed on to the honest middle-class.”
As resentment builds, public policy forums are calling upon the Tripura Electricity Regulatory Commission (TSERC) to review the tariff hike and audit TSECL’s performance. They are also demanding that a list of chronic defaulters be published and action initiated under the Electricity Act.Unless reforms are urgently implemented and accountability is enforced, experts warn, TSECL’s financial health and public trust will deteriorate beyond repair.
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