With a view to making the power infrastructure in Agartala city modern, safe and reliable, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha today performed Bhumi Pujan and laid the foundation stone of Agartala Underground Cabling Project and inaugurated Utility-Led Aggregation (ULA) project from the premises of Bardowali HS School.
Through the implementation of these two projects initiative has been taken to upgrade the power supply system not only in Agartala but across the state, increase the use of clean energy and give financial relief to the low income group families.
At the programme, the Chief Minister said, in order to ensure safe and uninterrupted power supply the overhead power transmission lines of the TSECL will be converted to underground cables. An amount of Rs. 1,437 crore has been allocated for this project. The project to be implemented by three agencies, is being jointly funded by the state government and TSECL. All the HT and LT lines of Agartala Municipal area will be converted to underground cable network under the project to be completed by 2028.
This project will minimize the risk of damage to the power transmission lines in storm affecting power supply and minimize the risk of fire incidents as well. He said through Smart Grid technology and Smart Control Room real time observation of the power supply system could be possible. Moreover, in order to keep the traffic movement and normal public life unaffected during the process of implementation, 'horizontal directional drilling' (HDD) or the trenchless technology will be applied to minimize underground digging.
The Chief Minister mentioned that under the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'PM Surjya Ghar Muft Bijli' scheme was launched to install solar power systems on the roof tops of 1 lakh families in the country. Under this initiative the state government has launched ULA project to deliver solar light facility to the low-income group families of the state.
The Chief Minister said in the first phase of this project, rooftop solar plants of 1 kwt capacity will be installed for 1.5 lakh families who consume less than 50-unit electricity in a month. Target has been set to produce 150 megawatt additional solar electricity through this initiative. Under the project the state government will bear the expenses of the solar plant installation through TSECL.
For this purpose, a central grant of Rs. 33,000 crore will be available. The remaining amount will be arranged from the state budget and Asian Development Bank. The consumers will not have to spend anything on it. However, they will have to give a refundable security deposit of Rs. 1000. For 10 year TSECL will be in charge supervising the plant. During this period the consumers will get 100 unit of electricity free of cost and after 10 years the plant will be handed over to them with full ownership.
The Chief Minister stated that these two projects will play a significant role in the future in terms of economic development, securing reliable power supply system and expansion of clean energy use, apart from modernizing the power infrastructure in the state. He added that during the last eight years the state government has worked for expansion, modernization of the state's power infrastructure for making it safe and reliable. For this purpose, establishment of Sub-station, installation of transmission and distribution line, transformer etc. initiatives have been taken.
A documentary on Muft Bijli Yojana was screened. Among other dignitaries were present Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath, Mayor of Agartala Municipal Corporation Dipak Majumder, Deputy Speaker of Tripura Legislative Assembly Ramprasad Pal, MP Rajib Bhattacharya, MLA Mina Rani Sarkar. Abhishek Singh, secretary of the power department delivered the welcome address and vote of thanks was given by TSECL MD Biswajit Bosu. In addition, Corporators of AMC and concerned officials were present at the programme.