Internet penetration may be on the rise in Chennai but electricity consumers still prefer the conventional method — standing in queues — to pay their bills.
The number of domestic consumers paying electricity bills through online mode in the city is around one lakh against a consumer base of 34.35 lakh. It roughly works out to three per cent.
Even among the consumers paying online, the gap between north and south regions of Chennai is evident with an average of 80,000 consumers from the south region paying through internet against an average of 23,000 consumers from north region. Though Chennai North lags behind in electronic payment, one has to keep in mind the poor computer literacy level and economic background of the people point out social activists. This region comprising Tiruvottiyur, MKB Nagar, Vyasarpadi, Madhavaram, Gummidipoondi, Ponneri, Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Vepery, Purasawalkam, Chintadripet, Villivakkam and Perambur is home to a large number of economically weaker sections and industrial workers. [The region of South Chennai covers parts of Mylapore, Adyar, Velachery, Tambaram and Chengalpattu.]
J. Jayakumar, District secretary, Federation of Consumer Organisations of Tamil Nadu, said that most of the electricity consumers in north Chennai are comfortable paying through the counters. Complaining about the poor promotion of electronic payment facility by the officials of the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), he says not many people even know about the availability of electronic payment facilities.
The consumers say one of the reasons for the poor response was that there were fewer banks at the online portal. At present, eight banks including Axis, ICICI, Indian Bank, City Union Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda and Karur Vysya Bank, are listed in the website.
Kris Dev, founder, Transparency and Accountability Network, said that the consumers should have a single-window portal where all the government agencies are integrated in to one vertical for making payments.
Mr. Dev cited the Indane Gas booking, billing, delivery and payment to be one of the best Interactive Voice Response System tele-services. Once registered, it recognises the caller's phone number and communicates the consumer number and asks to press just one digit to confirm refill booking.
Then immediately it gives a ticket number and also an SMS about the booking. It is followed up by other messages. The TANGEDCO can follow such a system.
More banks soon
TANGEDCO Chairman Rajeev Ranjan said that a portal having comprehensive centralised consumer care centre is being planned based on the recommendations of a consultant appointed for the Rapid Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (RAPDRP) project.
Under the project, IVRS facility would be available.
Regarding complaints about limited number of banks, he said the development of interface is going on for including Punjab National Bank and SBI and further steps are being taken to rope in more banks.
Also, the Any Time Payment (ATP) machines numbering around four in the city are being utilised by around 6,000 consumers per month.
On whether any study has been conducted by TANGEDCO to know about poor response to e-payment facility, Mr. Ranjan said that though no study/survey had been conducted, the number of consumers paying through electronic mode is rising exponentially.
