Tripura to build 400 KV substation to meet rising power demand

Tripura will soon see a significant upgrade to its electricity infrastructure with the construction of a 400 KV substation at Suryamaninagar in the West District. The facility, announced by Power, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Ratan Lal Nath, is aimed at strengthening the state’s internal grid and meeting future electricity needs.

The announcement came during the inauguration of two major power projects in Unakoti District — the upgraded 132 KV Kailashahar Substation and a new 132 KV double-circuit transmission line from Dharmanagar to Kailashahar Substation in Gournagar.

The Rs 59.82-crore project, funded jointly by the Centre and the World Bank, will ensure uninterrupted power supply to 46,351 consumers in the region. The Kailashahar substation upgrade is expected to meet local demand for the next decade.

Nath stressed the importance of reliable power for all sectors, noting that only 36 per cent of Kailashahar consumers currently pay their bills and that electricity theft remains a challenge. He said the state is also expanding solar power generation and using Emergency Restoration System technology to quickly restore damaged tower lines.

On agriculture, Nath highlighted the expansion of Krishak Bandhu Kendras, service hubs designed to provide farmers with technical guidance and modern farming solutions under the ‘Lab to Land’ programme. The 33rd centre was opened at Chantail in Chandipur RD Block for Rs 82.28 lakh under the RIDF project. Ten more centres—at Bamutia, Lefunga, Old Agartala, Mohanbhog, Tepania, BC Nagar, Poangbori, Ganganagar, Jubarajnagar, and Laljuri—will be completed this financial year, taking the total to 43 by 2025–26, with the rest to follow in phases.

At the event, the government distributed agricultural machinery to 20 farmers, fruit seedlings to 30 farmers, and 100 seed minikits to beneficiaries, reaffirming its goal of modernising agriculture and aligning with the Prime Minister’s vision of making India a global “grain bank.”