VIJAYAWADA: Stressing the need to intensify digital payment drive for easy payment of electricity bills, Energy Minister K Kala Venkata Rao has instructed officials to see that 90 per cent of bills are paid through cashless mode.
The minister has exhorted that the department should be more consumer-centric by providing the best consumer services. Communicating the message of the minister at the daylong session held at Vidyuth Soudha on Thursday, principal secretary (energy) Ajay Jain said the two discoms — APSPDCL and APEPDC — should strive to enhance e-payments of electricity bills.
He disclosed that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu would launch the smart metering programme either in Vizag or Tirupati and requested EESL to supply 10,000 smart meters each to APEPDCL and APSPDCL by October 18. “EESL has assured to supply 1.5 lakh smart meters by January-2019,” he said.
The smart meters will ensure on-time and accurate billing, reduced operational cost, high efficiency and better demand-side management. It will also improve safety, quality of power and savings in energy expenditure.
According to him, the government wants power utilities to take up a massive campaign drive by using various mediums to create awareness among consumers on digital payments. He advised the officials to create awareness about mobile apps, that can make the digital payment easier.
Jain said they were determined to make the State numero uno in every aspects of energy, be it production, distribution, quality or digital payment and other related services to consumers. He also asked officials to clear the pendency with regard to agriculture connections.
According to officials, 61,000 agriculture power connections were given in 2017-18 and 17.44 lakh agricultural pump sets have been energised in the State till date. They were asked to give priority to the redressal of consumer grievances, get feedback and improve consumer satisfaction.APTRANSCO CMD K Vijayanand said special action plan is being taken up to enhance the consumer satisfaction even at grassroot level from 80% to 90%.