New Delhi, India (BBN) - During the upcoming visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India, the two countries will sign an agreement for supply of additional 60 MW of electricity to the neighbouring country from Tripura, a top official said here on Tuesday.
Hasina is scheduled to visit New Delhi from April 7 to 10, reports the Business Standard quoting IANS.
"Officials of India and Bangladesh governments met in Dhaka on March 17 and finalised the technical and other issues to supply extra 60 mw electricity to that country from Tripura," the Indian official told IANS.
He said: "During Sheikh Hasina's visit, the Bangladesh and Indian government officials will sign an agreement in this regard and immediately after that the supply of additional power (to Bangladesh) will begin."
The official said that four Indian officials from the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVN), Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd and the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh held meeting in Dhaka with the top officials of Bangladesh Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and Bangladesh Power Development Board and finalised power tariff and other technical details.
The NVVN is a subsidiary of state owned National Thermal Power Corporation.
Tripura has been supplying 100 MW of electricity to Bangladesh since March 23, 2016, in addition to the 500 MW the country is receiving from West Bengal since 2013.
"Bangladesh has sought 100 MW electricity from India to solve its power crisis in the eastern part of the country.
As Tripura government was ready to provide additional 100 MW power to Bangladesh, the Indian government recently informed this to Bangladesh governemnt accordingly," Tripura Power and Transport Minister Manik Dey told IANS.
"However, Bangladesh has to develop its infrastructure on their side to receive additional power.
Considering their technical feasibility now, they take 60 MW electricity after developing transmission facilities on their side," he added.
"During my visit to Bangladesh in February last year, (Bangladesh Prime Minister) Sheikh Hasina requested us to provide additional 100 MW electricity and I instantly agreed.
I had requested her to approach the Indian government on the matter," the minister said.
"Although currently we are supposed to supply 100 MW of power, sometimes Bangladesh takes 110 MW to 115 MW power to meet their requirements."
A 47-km double circuit transmission line was erected, linking the power grid at Surjyamaninagar in western Tripura to the Comilla power grid in eastern Bangladesh, to supply electricity to the neighbouring country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina along with Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on March 23, 2016, launched the supply of 100 MW power through video-conferencing from their offices in New Delhi, Dhaka and Agartala.
The minister said that Tripura had already become a power-surplus state.
"If we supply additional power to Bangladesh we will be able to earn extra revenue."
During his visit to Dhaka on June 6-7 in 2015, Prime Minister Modi had discussed with Hasina power supply possibility from Tripura.
Modi had declared that India would eventually enhance the power supply to Bangladesh to 1,100 MW.
BBN/MS/ANS