By Bureau Correspondent | Tripura 24.in
AGARTALA | June 5, 2026
AGARTALA: Channeling deep public resentment over escalating utility bills, the Tripura Electric Consumers’ Association (TECA) organized a massive demonstration outside Bidyut Bhavan today. Protesters gathered in large numbers outside the headquarters of the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) to strongly demand an immediate rollback of the recently approved electricity tariff hikes.
The agitators raised slogans against both the state power utility and the Tripura Electricity Regulatory Commission (TERC), accusing them of burdening ordinary families and small businesses with hidden charges and inflated energy rates during a period of intense economic pressure.
“A Direct Economic Assault on Common Citizens”: Protesters Speak Out
The protest comes closely on the heels of the recent regulatory order that approved a revised power tariff structure across various consumption brackets, alongside structural changes to fixed charges based on connected kilowatts.
Core Grievance Redressal Demands Outlined by the Association:
- Rollback of Energy Charge Hikes: The association demanded the instant withdrawal of the recent 15 to 35 paise per unit hike levied on domestic and commercial categories, which has triggered widespread allegations of overbilling.
- Abolition of Excessive Fixed Charges: Protesters claimed that the calculation of fixed and service fees on monthly slips is highly non-transparent, resulting in bloated totals even when actual energy consumption remains minimal.
- Opposition to Mandatory Smart Meters: TECA leadership strongly criticized the aggressive, state-wide push for prepaid smart meters and the Time-of-Day (ToD) differential billing mechanism, labeling them tools designed to extract extra profits under corporate influence.
Memorandum Dispatched to Power Management Matrix
Speaking to media representatives at the gates of Bidyut Bhavan, senior leaders of the Tripura Electric Consumers’ Association warned that the current agitation is only the opening salvo of a much larger citizen-led movement.
”Our state power utility is trying to clear its massive revenue deficits by picking the pockets of honest, tax-paying consumers. The common people of Tripura were completely left in the dark before this hidden tariff adjustment was introduced. Many lower-middle-class households are now opening monthly billing alerts to see astronomical figures that they simply cannot afford to pay.
We are here today to tell the management of TSECL that electricity is a fundamental public utility, not a profit-maximizing enterprise. If the corporation does not immediately suspend these unfair hikes, dismantle the predatory pricing models, and address the frequent load-shedding and voltage drops hitting our neighborhoods, we will expand this protest into a total civil resistance across every sub-divisional power office in the state,” an executive member of the association declared during the briefing.
Security Strengthened to Prevent Breach
To maintain strict law and order, a large contingent of Tripura Police and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel set up multi-tiered security barricades around the entrance of the Bidyut Bhavan complex in Banamalipur.
A formal deputation containing the detailed list of consumer grievances was later handed over to senior power directorate executives. While TSECL officials maintained that the minimal tariff adjustment was necessary to handle rising natural gas purchase costs and operational overheads, the association has threatened to escalate to a full-scale sit-in strike if a favorable administrative review is not announced within the coming weeks.
