Agartala: The Tripura government will provide a 100% subsidy on the increased fixed electricity charges for all categories of consumers, Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath said on Friday.
According to the minister, amounts already paid at the revised rates will be adjusted in the next three billing cycles.
“The decision will benefit around 10 lakh electricity consumers in the state,” Nath said at a press conference. The subsidy will cover domestic, commercial, agricultural and industrial connections. Railway traction will remain outside the scheme, he clarified.
For defence establishments, the Railways and national broadcasting organisations, the government will provide a 15% subsidy on the increased charges, the minister said.
Nath said the Tripura Electricity Regulatory Commission had issued a new tariff order for the 2026-27 financial year. He said the tariff structure was revised following a Supreme Court direction requiring state electricity regulatory commissions to make arrangements to address revenue gaps of state power utilities within three years.
The revision resulted in a significant increase in fixed charges, causing concern among ordinary consumers, businesses and farmers, the minister said.
The subsidy will be effective from May 2026. Consumers who have already paid electricity bills at the revised rates will have the excess amount adjusted in their September, October and November bills, covering the next three billing cycles, Nath said.
He said the state government would spend around Rs 77.57 crore on the subsidy and had made provision for an additional Rs 117.13 crore.
Nath also cited comparative figures on electricity tariff increases under successive governments. He said tariffs had risen by 116.03% between 2010-11 and 2017-18, while the increase over the last eight years under the present government stood at 40.42%. He also said consumers had received rebates in 2020-21.
The minister said international gas prices had increased by around 196% in 2022-23, but the state government did not increase electricity tariffs for a considerable period. He attributed the subsequent need for a tariff increase to directions from the regulatory commission.
Nath said Chief Minister Manik Saha had taken up the issue and held an emergency meeting before returning to the state after shortening his Delhi programme to discuss the electricity tariff matter.
The minister said the government had decided to bear the entire burden of the increased fixed charges through the subsidy.
The decision came after the government faced widespread criticism over the tariff hike. Several consumers had complained that their electricity bills had increased significantly compared with previous bills.
