A'chal Pradesh gov onboards 25 urban towns at digital payment platform

Itanagar, Aug 24: Giving yet another push towards digitization, the Arunachal Pradesh government onboarded 16 more urban towns of the state on e-billing and payment platform of its Power Department with Chief Minister Pema Khandu along with Deputy Chief Minister and Minister in-charge of Power Chowna Mein launching it in a ceremony on Thursday.

With this, consumers of 25 urban towns of the state today have the facility to pay their electricity bills online through any digital payment system, an official release said.

“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 will not only unburden consumers of physically going to 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 Power Department will be the highest revenue generating department in near future – once all the proposed hydropower projects are completed – use of information technology in collection of revenue is a must,” Khandu observed.

To the request of the department for establishment of an independent division or cell for its IT-based consumer services, Khandu said the proposal is with him and that he will be approving it at the earliest.

Deputy CM Chowna Mein, while speaking on the overall power scenario, said that the state has surplus power but is unable to reap its benefits due to lack of proper transmission lines.

The department has also operationalized a Customer Care Centre since June 2020 that can be reached by dialing ‘1912’, which is available as of now 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 Twitter (now ‘X’).

To make its app customer friendly, the department is in process of developing a new app for bill payment, which would be ready by September next. Likewise, the department is also revamping its web portal to dynamic mode. The aim is to make 100% digital billing and payment of all categories of consumers by March 2025.

“Laying of transmission lines is moving at a very slow pace as about 80% of the state’s areas 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,” Mein said.

The departmental officials informed that with the onboarding of 16 towns, including Tawang, Bomdila, Changlang, Longding, Khonsa, on the online payment platform, the state has covered 25 of its 49 notified urban towns with a total of 1,17,579 consumers.

Dirang, Basar, Koloriang, Boleng, Yingkiong, Sagalee, Miao, Jairampur, Deomali, Anini and Hawai are the other towns connected today. Earlier, nine towns including Itanagar, Naharlagun, Daporijo, Ziro, Aalo, Pasighat, Roing, Tezu and Namsai were onboarded in the first phase.

To mark the launch, one consumer each from the 16 towns paid their electricity bills online, who attended the ceremony virtually from their respective places. While Cabinet Minister Wangki Lowang and legislators Balo Raja, Lokam Tassar and Dasanglu Pul were present physically during the ceremony, several legislators, district officials and consumers joined it online.