Agartala, Sept 13: The Tripura government has terminated its contract with FEDCO, a private firm responsible for electricity services, following persistent issues in ensuring reliable power supply, Power Minister Ratanlal Nath announced on Friday.

During a press conference, Nath explained that the state had entered into a 10-year agreement with FEDCO on July 1, 2020, with the objective of delivering high-quality electricity services to consumers. However, the company repeatedly failed to meet the people’s expectations.

FEDCO, tasked with overseeing customer service in Division 5, did not maintain the required standards and neglected regular maintenance of the electrical infrastructure. This led to numerous complaints from consumers, which were later verified through investigations.

"The state government, committed to serving the public, could not ignore the worsening situation. On March 4, we issued a notice to FEDCO to improve their services, but instead of improvement, conditions worsened. The cancellation of the contract became inevitable," Nath stated.

FEDCO was managing electricity services for 10 sub-divisions, including Sonamura, Sabroom, Ambassa, Gandacherra, Manu, Khowai, Mohanpur, Hezamara, Jirania, and Bishalgarh, catering to 1,44,920 customers. With the contract now void, the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) will assume responsibility for these areas. The 370 FEDCO employees working in these sub-divisions will remain involved in electricity services.

Nath further highlighted the significant damage to the state's power infrastructure caused by recent floods. Over 3,599 kilometers of transmission lines, 5,397 electric poles, 2,616 distribution transformers, five power transformers, and 2,730 kilometers of PVC lines were damaged during the floods.

The press conference was also attended by Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited Secretary Abhishek Singh and Director of Finance Sarvajit Singh Dogra.