Agartala, Nov 30: Tripura’s Power Minister, Ratan Lal Nath, vowed to intensify action against illegal hook lines, stating such practices will not be tolerated.

Speaking at a press conference at the TSECL corporate office, he praised the relentless efforts of power corporation employees in maintaining uninterrupted service, even during disasters.

Nath highlighted that TSECL is the first PSU in the state to approve dearness allowance with November salaries for which the government will have to bear an additional Rs 55 lakh monthly.

The minister also shared significant statistics, including 540 anti-hook line drives conducted this year, leading to the disconnection of 3,041 illegal lines and fines of Rs 1.56 crore, of which Rs 1.18 crore has been recovered.

On the power front, Tripura generates 600 MW of electricity, exporting 60 MW to Bangladesh, which currently owes Rs 135 crore, including late fees. The minister also encouraged citizens to adopt solar panels under the PM Surya Ghar Yojana.

The minister also shared that Tripura has 11.24 lakh electricity consumers, with 1.41 lakh on prepaid meters and 9.83 lakh on postpaid.

Tripura’s electricity demand stands at 250 MW, while the state generates 600 MW, primarily from Palatana (537 MW), Ramchandranagar (45 MW) and Rokhia (18 MW), he added.

Besides, the Power minister also stressed on various future projects including expanding underground cabling in Agartala and upgrading substations to enhance the state’s power infrastructure.