Power bills trigger fresh war of words in Tripura Former Minister Manik Dey accuses BJP government of shifting blame over smart meters; alleges privatisation of power sector

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, August 12, 2026

The political battle over rising electricity bills and smart meters in Tripura intensified on Tuesday, with former Power Minister and CPI(M) leader Manik Dey accusing the BJP-led government of attempting to divert public attention from what he described as the “failure” of the State’s power sector.

Addressing a press conference at the CPI(M) State headquarters in Agartala, Mr. Dey said the introduction of smart meters was not a decision of the present government and maintained that the Left Front government had taken the initiative in 2015 under financial pressure from the Centre.

Mr. Dey claimed that the earlier programme envisaged the installation of around 50,000 smart meters and was implemented through the State-controlled power utility. According to him, the government was responsible for addressing consumer complaints and replacing defective meters under the earlier arrangement.

His remarks came a day after Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath defended the present smart-meter programme and blamed the previous Left Front government for irregularities in the original project. Mr. Nath said the project, initiated during the Left regime, involved work orders worth about ₹80 crore and alleged that the implementation was marked by delays, technical failures and financial irregularities.

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Mr. Dey rejected the attempt to place the present controversy entirely at the door of the previous government.

“The issue today is not merely the smart meter. The question is why consumers are receiving higher electricity bills,”

he said.

‘Government cannot evade responsibility’

Mr. Dey questioned the State government’s position that electricity tariffs were determined by the Tripura Electricity Regulatory Commission (TERC), an independent regulatory body.

The former Minister pointed out that the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) is wholly owned by the State government and argued that the government could not completely distance itself from the decisions and functioning of the utility.

Mr. Nath had said that tariffs and associated charges were determined by the TERC after considering power procurement, maintenance and other costs, and that TSECL merely implemented the approved tariff.

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Mr. Dey, however, alleged that consumers were being burdened with various charges, including fixed and fuel-related charges, and demanded greater transparency in electricity billing.

Attack on private participation

The CPI (M) leader also alleged that the BJP government was gradually moving towards privatisation of the power sector.

He questioned the decision to involve private agencies in the installation of smart meters and claimed that the expansion of the programme to all consumers could create an additional financial burden on households.

Mr. Dey also alleged that several power divisions had been handed over to private companies and claimed that one such company had left without paying around ₹150 crore to the State government. The allegation could not be independently verified.

Questions power generation Mr. Dey contrasted the present situation with the Left Front period, claiming that Tripura had achieved a largely uninterrupted power supply and had developed around 500 MW of generation capacity.

He alleged that generation at the Barmura, Rokhia and Palatana power stations had subsequently deteriorated and questioned the financial condition of the State power utility.

He claimed that the corporation had once maintained fixed deposits worth around ₹300 crore but was now facing losses of nearly ₹1,500 crore.

Mr. Dey also sought an account of funds received through the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, and questioned why technical and commercial losses were being passed on to consumers.

‘Control theft, recover dues’ The former Power Minister alleged that the government had failed to effectively check electricity theft and recover outstanding dues.

He argued that reducing technical and commercial losses and improving revenue collection would lessen the need to repeatedly raise the burden on consumers.

The controversy comes amid sustained public criticism of smart meters and complaints of unusually high electricity bills. The government has said it is examining consumer grievances, while the Chief Minister, Power Minister and senior officials have discussed possible measures to provide relief.

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The TERC has also recently directed TSECL to strengthen consumer grievance mechanisms and address billing disputes, while concerns have been raised over the manner in which smart meters were rolled out.

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With the CPI(M) now challenging the government’s explanation and the BJP accusing the Opposition of politicising the issue, *smart meters and electricity bills have emerged as a fresh flashpoint in Tripura’s politics.*

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