ITANAGAR, 24 Aug: Three more urban towns of the state were ‘on-boarded’ to the state government’s e-billing and payment platform on Thursday, following the launch of the e-billing facility by Chief Minister Pema Khandu and DCM Chowna Mein (who is also in charge of the power department).
With this, the consumers of 25 urban towns have the facility to pay their electricity bills online through any digital payment system.
“This is a huge step towards digitally equipping the people and I compliment the department of power for it,” Khandu said after the launch.
He expressed confidence that the facility would not only unburden consumers of physically going to the power department offices to pay their bills but also instill transparency and accountability in the department.
“Digital payment system is the best option to prevent any revenue leak, thus boosting our revenue generation. As the power department will be the highest revenue generating department in the near future – once all proposed hydropower projects are completed – use of information technology in collection of revenue is a must,” Khandu observed.
Responding to a request by the department for establishment of an independent division or cell for its IT-based consumer services, Khandu said that he has the proposal and will approve it at the earliest.
Mein in his address said that the state has surplus power but is unable to reap its benefits due to lack of proper transmission lines.
“Laying of transmission lines is moving in a very slow pace as about 80 percent of the state’s area come under reserve forests. We have taken up the issue with the union ministry of power and are working a way out. Once transmission lines are in place, there won’t be any power shortage,” he said.
Officials of the department informed that, “with the on-boarding of 16 towns to online payment platform, the state has covered 25 of its 49 notified urban towns with total 1,17,579 consumers.”
The 16 towns connected on Thursday are Tawang, Bomdila, Dirang, Basar, Koloriang, Boleng, Yingkiong, Sagalee, Changlang, Longding, Miao, Jairampur, Deomali, Khonsa, Anini, and Hawai. Nine towns – Itanagar, Naharlagun, Daporijo, Ziro, Aalo, Pasighat, Roing, Tezu and Namsai – were on-boarded in the first phase.
To mark the launch, one consumer each from 16 towns paid their electricity bills online from their respective places.
The power department established a customer care centre in June 2020, which can be reached on dialing ‘1912’, which, as of now, is available from 9:30 am to 4 pm on all working days. Consumers can also reach out for services through the department’s social media handles on Facebook, Instagram and X.
The department’s aim is to “make 100 percent digital billing and payment of all categories of consumers by March 2025,” the officials informed.
While DoTCL Minister Wangki Lowang and legislators Balo Raja, Lokam Tassar and Dassanglu Pul were present during the ceremony in person, several legislators, district officials and consumers joined it online. (CM’s PR Cell)
