Tripura Congress protests soaring power tariffs, rising political violence

The Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) on Monday staged statewide protests, including a demonstration in front of the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) office in Agartala, against the sharp hike in electricity tariffs, the introduction of prepaid smart meters, and spiraling prices of PNG, CNG, and road tax.

The protest also highlighted the deteriorating law and order situation in the state and the recent spate of violent attacks on opposition leaders. The Congress alleged that the attacks on its senior leaders—including MLA and CWC Permanent Invitee Sudip Roy Barman, MLA Gopal Roy, and other opposition legislators—were orchestrated by anti-social elements backed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to stifle democratic dissent.

Addressing the gathering, TPCC spokesperson Prabir Chakraborty launched a scathing attack on the Modi-led central government, accusing it of implementing corporate-friendly policies at the cost of common citizens.

“Since 2014, every major policy has been tailored to benefit big corporates while squeezing the middle and lower-income groups,” Chakraborty said, citing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime as a major burden on the poor. He further alleged that from 2022 to 2024, fraudulent companies embezzled Rs 3.2 lakh crore through Input Tax Credit (ITC) scams.

Criticizing the government's push for digital payments, Chakraborty said massive funds were used to promote private platforms like Paytm and Google Pay, but user protection remains grossly inadequate. 

“In the past 22 months, over 44 lakh digital fraud cases have been reported, resulting in losses of Rs 6,794 crore,” he claimed.

On the power sector, Chakraborty said TSECL’s financial health has worsened drastically. 

“In 2018, the corporation had Rs 350 crore in deposits. Today, its debt exceeds Rs 1,000 crore. Even critical areas like the ICU of GB Pant Hospital suffer from power cuts,” he said.

He warned that the prepaid smart meter system would disproportionately hurt poor families. “Once the balance is exhausted, families will be left without electricity unless they recharge it like a mobile phone. This is deeply unjust to those already struggling,” he said.

The Congress also demanded a rollback of the more than 100% hike in PNG and CNG prices and the sharp increase in road tax witnessed over the past seven and a half years. 

The party further called for immediate action against those involved in violent attacks on opposition leaders and Congress workers.