Post offices to collect Southco's utility bills

At least 400 sub-post offices and head post offices in eight southern Odisha districts would collect the electricity bills from the consumers as per the agreement

Reliance Infrastructure controlled distribution utility Southern Electricity Supply Company of Odisha Ltd (Southco) has entered into an agreement with the Bhubaneswar postal circle to enable post offices to collect electricity bills.

At least 400 sub-post offices and head post offices in eight southern Odisha districts — Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Rayagada, Malkanagiri, Nabarangapur, Kandhamal and Boudh would collect the  electricity bills from the consumers as per the agreement.

“The distribution company (discom) will pay some commission to the postal circle for collection of the electricity bill. No extra amount would be collected from the consumers for the purpose,” said a senior officer of Southco.  

“We have made this arrangement for facilitating electricity bill payments especially for rural consumers. They can easily deposit their bill in the village post office,” he said.

The postal department has developed a special software for the purpose to collect the bills from the post offices where the computers are available. In some sub-post offices where the computers are not available, money receipts would be given to the consumers. The money receipts are developed jointly by Southco and the postal department, he said.

Southco has also entered into agreements with ICICI Bank and two private companies for collection of utility bills. The discom has set up 60 collection counters in the districts under its jurisdiction.  Besides, Southco has a tie-up with the State Bank of India (SBI) for collection of electricity bills through cash as well as debit cards in select branches.

“These facilities have been made in an effort to expedite the revenue collection of the discom,” the officer said. Southco is collecting Rs 60-65 crore revenue from the consumers every month.

The discom has around 1.5 million consumers including private and government entities, sources said.