Common Service Centre gets RBI nod to function as bill payment unit

The CSCs eGovernance Service India has got in-principle approval from Reserve Bank of India for functioning as Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit (BBPOU), Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Wednesday.

"After the licence is made operational which may take about three months - integration with National Payment Corporation of India, the common service centres (CSC) across the country would be able to facilitate in collection of various bills of the customer near their place of residence," an official statement quoted Prasad as saying.

The CSCs are set up by CSC e-Governance Services India, which is a special purpose vehicle created for monitoring the implementation of the government's Common Service Centre. The BBPOU system is a bill payment system in India with a single point providing anytime, anywhere payment system to customer.

The Bharat Bill Payment Services offers interoperable and accessible bill payment services to customers through various payment modes and provides instant confirmation of receiving the payment.

The service will facilitate the collection of repetitive payment of everyday utility services such as electricity, water, prepaid payment instruments top-ups and mobile phone recharge.

"It will provide accessible bill payment system to large segment of banked and unbanked population. Common service centres would become ubiquitous service points for all consumers.

"Besides providing convenience to customers, the bill payment facility will significantly enhance footfalls in the CSC and establish their credibility as reliable bill payment access point. This would also enhance their business and income and make them sustainable," the statement added.

The bill payment service through CSC would also create additional infrastructure at CSC that would require deployment of manpower for running such services.

"With the deployment of at least one additional resource at CSC, the bill payment service would create the employment of around 160,000 people," the statement added.

--IANS

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