Widespread protests broke out in several parts of Tripura after a prolonged server failure disrupted prepaid electricity meter recharges, leaving many consumers without power and prompting road blockades in Teliamura, Dharmanagar and Kailashahar. The technical problem also affected electricity-related services in several areas, while separate protests were held in Dharmanagar over the quality of drinking water supply.The strongest protest was reported from Teliamura, where residents blocked a stretch of the National Highway, alleging that they had been unable to recharge their prepaid smart electricity meters for nearly three days because of a server malfunction. Protesters claimed their electricity connections were disconnected despite repeated attempts to recharge, causing serious hardship for households during the ongoing monsoon season.The demonstrators demanded that electricity supply be restored until the technical issue is resolved. They suggested that the authorities temporarily use the previous billing system to collect electricity charges instead of disconnecting consumers over a problem beyond their control.
As the blockade disrupted traffic, police and central paramilitary personnel were deployed to clear the highway. Protesters alleged that police resorted to a lathi-charge after they refused to end the blockade, leaving several people, including women, injured. The alleged use of force drew criticism from sections of the public, who accused the administration of focusing on dispersing the protest instead of addressing the server failure.Sub-Divisional Magistrate Apurba Krishna Chakraborty and officials from Teliamura Police Station reached the spot and appealed to protesters to withdraw the blockade. However, residents insisted on immediate restoration of electricity and a permanent solution to the recharge problem.In Dharmanagar, consumers alleged that the electricity department’s Division-I and Division-II offices had been affected by server failures for nearly a week. Besides preventing prepaid meter recharges, the disruption reportedly delayed new electricity connections and other consumer services. Long queues of residents, including elderly people, women and office-goers, were seen outside the offices as many returned home without completing their work.According to local officials, the disruption was caused by a technical fault in the server infrastructure. Consumers were reportedly informed by the Division-II Manager that normal services could take another four to five days to resume, further increasing public dissatisfaction. Residents demanded immediate alternative arrangements to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply during the outage.
Public anger was also visible over drinking water supply in several areas under the Dharmanagar Municipal Council. Residents from Sakhaibari, Shivbari, Mandabpara, Jail Road and nearby localities alleged that untreated or inadequately treated water was being supplied, raising concerns about possible waterborne diseases. They also questioned the quality of chemicals being used in the water treatment process.The residents staged a road blockade that continued for nearly two hours before officials from the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department reached the site and assured them that the supply of properly treated drinking water would be restored. The protesters withdrew the blockade following the assurance.Similar server-related problems were also reported from the Sekerkote Darogabari Electricity Office in Kamalasagar, where consumers allegedly faced long delays in paying electricity bills because of technical issues. The incidents have renewed concerns over the reliability of the prepaid smart meter system and the state’s dependence on centralised digital infrastructure. Consumers have urged the Tripura government and the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited to introduce effective backup mechanisms so that essential electricity services remain uninterrupted during technical failures. While electricity officials have acknowledged server-related technical problems in some areas, the authorities are yet to issue a detailed statewide statement explaining the cause of the disruption, the number of affected consumers or the expected timeline for full restoration of services.
