Date:31/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/31/stories/2008033151940300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Spot billing, payment successful: APCPDCL

Staff Reporter

The pilot project taken up in MIG housing area of the BHEL results in
85 p.c. collection

SANGAREDDY: The pilot project of integrated bill payment system undertaken by the Andhra Pradesh Central Power Distribution Company Limited (APCPDCL) in Patancheru of Medak district yielded good results.

According to Transco’s superintending engineer of the Medak district K. M. Nagender, the system of spot billing and payment facility provided in the MIG housing area of the BHEL resulted in 85 per cent of collections during the trial run.

Mr. Nagender said that earlier the customers used to receive only the bill, which they used to pay at the e Seva centre or at the bill collecting centres of the company.

Now one could pay the bill right away to the same bill collector and take a receipt of the payment.

This way the long gap between the production of the bill and realisation of it could be reduced.

Beneficial to customers

Similarly the customers also benefit because they do not have to stand in queue to pay the bills.

The officials said that the project would be extended to other areas of the company after a thorough study of the results and the feed back from the BHEL Township.

Even though several government departments, major panchayats and municipalities owe Transco, the SE said that the company wrote to each one of them and hope that they would pay the pending bills voluntarily.

Alternative checking

The Transco also decided to continue with the alternative checking system introduced to check connivance of private operators with the customers. Mr. Nagender said that a “wait and watch” attitude would continue with regard to farmers enjoying free power connections.

Each farmer is supposed to pay Rs. 20 as service charge per month towards the free service.