Agartala, Dec 10 (IANS) Despite repeated appeals, more than 50 per cent of Tripura’s around nine lakh electricity consumers have not been paying their monthly power bills for several years, an official of the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) said on Wednesday.
A senior official of the TSECL said that only around 4.32 lakh consumers, mostly from the town and urban areas, paid their electricity bills to the state owned corporation regularly.
This persistent non-payment trend has resulted in pending electricity bills accumulating to over Rs 480 crore to date. Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath has been repeatedly urging consumers at every TSECL programme and event to pay their electricity bills on time.
“A section of consumers has sometimes attacked TSECL personnel, including engineers and linemen, when they went to disconnect the power supply of defaulters,” the TSECL official said.
The TSECL, in an official statement, said a troubling trend has emerged in parts of Tripura, where some electricity consumers are refusing to pay their bills while continuing to demand full services.
“What’s more, a section of these defaulters is attempting to shift the blame onto TSECL, often using select media outlets as a shield to justify their non-payment,” the statement said.
The issue was highlighted recently in two villages of Khowai district.
According to TSECL’s records, out of 38 consumers in these two villages, only two consumers have paid their electricity bills up to September 2025.
The average bill-payment rate in the entire sub-division stands at barely 15 per cent. Despite repeated visits and requests from TSECL field staff, most consumers refused to cooperate and instead chose to accuse the corporation’s employees at every opportunity, the statement added.
It said that recently due to faults in two transformers in Khowai district, electricity supply was disrupted for a minimum period. “However, local residents magnified the issue and falsely claimed that the area had been without power for “two months”.
“A section of media outlets was also drawn into this misleading narrative. Later, it became evident that the intention behind spreading this false claim was simple, if the story gained traction, TSECL staff would be unable to demand pending dues for the next few months. In other words, the chaos was engineered to hide prolonged non-payment of bills,” the statement said.
Making its position clear, TSECL stated that the corporation remains committed to providing uninterrupted and quality electricity to every corner of Tripura.
“Whether arranging alternative supply within hours, reaching the field on time, or taking swift decisions to install new transformers, each step reflects TSECL’s dedication to maintaining steady service,” it added.
The statement further said that strengthening the system requires active cooperation from consumers. Regular bill payment not only keeps the service running but also helps TSECL upgrade and expand its network.
The corporation appealed to all consumers to clear their outstanding dues and support the system that works tirelessly for them. TSECL emphasised that responsibility lies on both sides, the corporation delivers power with commitment, and consumers must uphold their part by paying their bills on time.
–IANS
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