India's electricity diplomacy efforts with Bangladesh is slated to break new ground, with 500 MW of power flows slated to commence between the two countries from Wednesday. Of this, while 250 MW is to come from NTPC Ltd, the rest is being arranged by power trader PTC India Ltd, mainly from the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd.
The transfer of power has been possible by the recent commissioning of the crucial 71-km Baharampur-Bheramara transmission link between the electricity grids of the two countries, facilitating cross-border electricity transfer from India to Bangladesh.
The grid link is being seen as a major milestone in strengthening the bilateral relationship and comes at a time when India is desperate to make up for its inability to deliver on two key pacts with Bangladesh, the one on Teesta waters that had been blocked by the West Bengal administration and the land boundary pact between the countries.
There has been a sense of urgency in expediting the link to ensure that the interconnection is up and running well ahead of January, when Bangladesh is expected to go in for general elections.
The link, in some sense, would partially make up for the delays in the other two major commitments from India, coming at a time when the Sheikh Hasina administration's progress in turning around Bangladesh's India policy.
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