Tripura Government Initiates Special Electrification Using Solar Micro Grids for Resettled Brus, Announces Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath – EQ
Agartala : In a recent development, the Tripura government has initiated a special electrification scheme aimed at providing power to newly resettled Brus in 12 carefully selected locations across the state, encompassing all eight districts. This announcement came during an exclusive interaction with Northeast Today by the Tripura’s Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath.
These 12 new settlements are being established to accommodate the Brus who sought refuge in Tripura back in 1997 during a period of ethnic unrest in their home state of Mizoram. The process of electrifying these new hamlets has already commenced under a dedicated initiative launched by the power department, as per Minister Nath.
According to Minister Nath, the state has received a total of 6,500 applications from these new citizens, and 2,000 power connections have already been provided. Some of the hamlets situated in hilly terrains will receive power through solar micro grids. The Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (TREDA) has been entrusted with the responsibility of installing these solar grids based on specific requirements.
Minister Nath also expressed his commitment to ensuring that every family in Tripura has access to power within a defined timeframe. He noted that the inclusion of displaced Bru migrants in the state’s population has increased the number of consumers for the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited. Additionally, approximately 24,000 families were previously excluded from the initial phase of the Soubhagya Yojana scheme, which provides free connections to households. By including these families and the Brus, the state aims to achieve 100% electrification. Sufficient poles and wires have already been arranged to facilitate this expansion.
Furthermore, Minister Nath highlighted the introduction of smart electricity meters for consumer households to enhance transparency in the power sector. These meters can be connected to mobile phones, allowing consumers to remotely check their power consumption readings. They also provide detailed statistics on power consumption patterns, thus improving the transparency of the billing process.
The procurement of a total of six lakh such meters is underway, with approximately 1.5 lakh meters funded by the Asian Development Bank for modernizing power distribution in Tripura, and the remaining 4.5 lakh meters financed through the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
