The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : TNEB, BSNL tie-up for bill payment

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Thursday, Jul 02, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

TNEB, BSNL tie-up for bill payment

M. Dinesh Varma and R. Srikanth

System upgrades to CDM hardware and software to be ready in three weeks
When system upgrade is complete, consumers will be able to make remittances by cheque or cash

CHENNAI: The estimated 10 lakh electricity consumers in the city could soon have another option to remit their bi-monthly power bills if a proposed tie-up with BSNL Chennai Telephones comes through.

According to informed sources, BSNL could soon open up its network of Cheque Depository Machines (CDMs) for electricity bill remittance. System upgrades to the CDM hardware and software, which will ensure security and transparency on per transaction basis, are likely to be ready in three weeks, a BSNL official told The Hindu.

The plan is to have the entire transaction process monitored over a central server at BSNL.

According to the officials, the proposed tie-up with the TNEB has been mooted as part of gradually upgrading its network of 24 CDMs across the city as multi-utility touch-points for various categories of consumers.

When the system upgrade of the CDMs is complete, consumers will be able to make remittances by cheque or cash. In recent months, the TNEB has been expanding bill payment choices for its consumers.

Though electricity bills can now be paid online – either through Net banking or a credit card, this mode of transaction is yet to kick off in a major way.

A senior official of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) said out of total customer base of 10 lakh, those who had registered for online electricity bill payment was only 22,000.

Advantage of using Net banking

The advantage of using Net banking over a credit card transaction is the absence of a surcharge for the consumer.

Those using credit cards may have to pay a fee of 2.1 per cent of the bill amount.

For its online payment facility, the TNEB has entered into tie-up with ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank and City Union Bank.

The TNEB official said payment kiosks had also been set up at the EB offices on Anna Salai and Wallajah Road d at T. Nagar, Seven Wells and Pondy Bazaar.

TNEB is also considering a public awareness campaign to encourage more consumers to avail of alternative payment facilities and make the queues thinner at its payment counters.

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