TERC holds 29th State Advisory Committee meeting; Multi-Year Tariff petition discussed

The 29th meeting of the State Advisory Committee (SAC) of the Tripura Electricity Regulatory Commission was held on Wednesday at the Commission’s conference room in Agartala.

The meeting was chaired by Hemant Verma, Chairperson of TERC, in his capacity as the Ex-Officio Chairperson of the State Advisory Committee constituted under Section 87 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

The State Advisory Committee provides a consultative platform for various stakeholders to advise the Commission on key issues concerning the electricity sector in the state. The committee assists the Commission in matters such as tariff determination, protection of consumer interests, quality and reliability of power supply, promotion of efficiency and economy in the sector, and overall development of the electricity industry.

The committee includes representatives from the Government of Tripura, regulatory authorities, industry and commerce, agriculture, consumer groups, non-governmental organizations, media and academic institutions. A total of 18 members, including ex-officio members and stakeholder representatives, attended the meeting and shared their views on the agenda items.

During the meeting, the Commission placed before the committee the Multi-Year Tariff (MYT) petition for the control period FY 2025–26 to FY 2026–27, along with a truing-up of FY 2024–25 filed by the state utility, Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited. The MYT framework enables the Commission to determine tariffs for a defined control period while reviewing the actual financial and operational performance of the utility through the truing-up mechanism.

Sources in TERC said the matter was discussed with the members of the State Advisory Committee as part of the consultative process prescribed under the regulatory framework to ensure transparency, accountability and stakeholder participation in tariff determination. Committee members offered suggestions on issues relating to electricity tariffs, service quality and consumer interest.

The Commission also informed members that, as part of the tariff determination process and in accordance with applicable regulations, a public hearing on the tariff petition will be held on March 18, 2026 at the TERC office. Consumers, stakeholders and other interested persons will be able to present their views and suggestions before the Commission prior to the final decision on electricity tariffs.

Apart from tariff-related matters, the committee also deliberated on the Draft Tripura Electricity Regulatory Commission (Terms and Conditions of Consultants) Regulations, 2005 (First Amendment), 2026, which aims to streamline the engagement of consultants and domain experts to assist the Commission in technical, financial and regulatory matters.

The committee further discussed the Draft Tripura Electricity Regulatory Commission (Recruitment and Conditions of Service of Officers and Employees) Regulations, 2026, which seeks to establish a clear and updated framework governing recruitment, service conditions and administrative functioning of the Commission’s officers and staff.

Members of the committee actively participated in the deliberations and offered valuable suggestions on the agenda items, which will assist the Commission in taking informed decisions in the interest of consumers and the development of the electricity sector in the state.

Puspita Chakraborty delivered the vote of thanks. The meeting concluded with constructive deliberations, reaffirming the importance of stakeholder consultation in ensuring transparent, participatory and consumer-oriented regulation of the electricity sector in Tripura.