From today, pay power bills at post offices in Haryana

Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 31

Beginning tomorrow, power consumers of the state can pay their bills at the local post offices. After the success of the pilot project to facilitate payment of electricity bills at the local post offices in Ambala and Panipat, the Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam and the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam, the state's two power distribution companies (discoms), have decided to extend the facility to the entire state.

The decision has been taken to reduce the rush at the payment counters of the power department in view of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.

"In rural Haryana, there are 2,180 branches of post offices and during the pandemic this initiative will help in decreasing the line-up for bill payment at the local offices. The Haryana State Electricity Distribution Corporation is organising such experimental initiatives because it is committed to safeguarding the lives of its customersand providing them with uninterrupted electricity supply," said Shatrujit Kapur, chairman-cum-managing director (CMD), discoms.

In January, Kapur and Ranju Prasad, Chief Postmaster General of Haryana circle, principally agreed to give permission for starting a pilot project for payment of power bills at local post offices in Ambala and Panipat. An MoU was signed between the discoms and the Postal Department, Ambala circle.

In view of the ease of payment for consumers from January to August, it was decided to extend this facility to customers across the state. As many as 2,694 counters have been opened at various post offices across the state where bills up to Rs 20,000 can be paid. Customers will not have to pay any extra charges when they deposit their bills at the local post offices.

Haryana discoms were able to achieve the profitability for three consecutive years after Kapur took over as the CMD. In 2017-2018, Rs 28,926 crore was collected as revenue which had a profit component of Rs 412.36 crore. In 2018-19, the total revenue went up to Rs 29,962.34 crore in which the profit amount increased to Rs 280.94 crore. In 2019-20, the total revenue further went up to Rs 29,519.74 crore, which included a profit amount of Rs 331.39 crore.

---

Covid effect

• The decision has been taken to reduce the rush at the payment counters of the Power Department in view of the Covid pandemic
• "In rural Haryana, there are 2,180 branches of post offices and during the pandemic this initiative will help in decreasing the line-up for bill payment at the local offices," said Shatrujit Kapur, chairman-cum-managing director, discoms
• As many as 2,694 counters have been opened at various post offices across the state where bills up to Rs 20,000 can be paid

from The Tribune https://ift.tt/34PLnZb