You can pay power bills through BharatQR in Andhra: How it works

Move is aimed at making Vizag the first less-cash city in the country

Andhra Pradesh's two state-owned power distribution companies have started accepting payments through BharatQR, the first interoperable quick response code acceptance solution launched by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

BharatQR is a secure, network-agnostic interface that enables customers to use their smartphones to make payments without divulging information like card numbers and CVV.

Global payment technology company Visa and the Andhra Pradesh government collaborated to enable this digital payment initiative for the customers of Eastern Power Distribution Company of AP Limited (EPDCL) and Southern Power Distribution Company of AP Limited (SPDCL).

Stating that the move was aimed at making Vizag the first less-cash city in the country, state Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh informed that the government was exploring the possibility of abolishing the surcharge levied on digital payments. "Digitisation of transactions will ultimately lead to a reduction of costs for all stakeholders involved," he said.