Ranchi: Consumers of the Jharkhand Bijli Vitaran Nigam Ltd (JBVNL), the state-run power distribution company, which has long been paying its monthly energy bills at any point of time payment (ATP) counters at its convenience, will now have to stand in long queues at collection centers from Tuesday, using the collection system After the contract of the software agency handling the
There was no prior intimation regarding stoppage of ATP services by the astonishing customers of JBVNL, who as usual had come early morning to pay their bills at the ATP counters.
CS Chandrashekhar, a senior citizen and resident of Kanke Road, RanchiHe came to the ATP counter in the early hours of Tuesday and said that he was stunned when he found the counter locked.
“The lock hanging at the New Capital ATP counter took me by surprise. When I inquired at the electricity office, I was told that I would have to pay my bills manually at the collection center located half a km away. Now long for me Standing in queues and paying bills every month would be a torture,” he said.
JBVNL Ranchi General Manager-cum-Chief Engineer, PK Srivastava Said that all the ATP counters in the entire state had to be closed after the contract XiphiasA software agency responsible for bill collection, ended on 28 February.
“The contracts are for a fixed period. Still, we had given one month extension to the agency till March 31. However, the contractor refused to accept the extension and instead, decided to shut down all its ATP machines. We have already started the process of hiring a new agency, however it will take some time to finalize the tender process and hire a new agency,” Srivastava told TOI.
From Tuesday, consumers can pay their electricity bills at manual collection centers. “All our old collection centers have been activated. He said that customers are also free to pay their bills online through the JBVNL portal.
There was no prior intimation regarding stoppage of ATP services by the astonishing customers of JBVNL, who as usual had come early morning to pay their bills at the ATP counters.
CS Chandrashekhar, a senior citizen and resident of Kanke Road, RanchiHe came to the ATP counter in the early hours of Tuesday and said that he was stunned when he found the counter locked.
“The lock hanging at the New Capital ATP counter took me by surprise. When I inquired at the electricity office, I was told that I would have to pay my bills manually at the collection center located half a km away. Now long for me Standing in queues and paying bills every month would be a torture,” he said.
JBVNL Ranchi General Manager-cum-Chief Engineer, PK Srivastava Said that all the ATP counters in the entire state had to be closed after the contract XiphiasA software agency responsible for bill collection, ended on 28 February.
“The contracts are for a fixed period. Still, we had given one month extension to the agency till March 31. However, the contractor refused to accept the extension and instead, decided to shut down all its ATP machines. We have already started the process of hiring a new agency, however it will take some time to finalize the tender process and hire a new agency,” Srivastava told TOI.
From Tuesday, consumers can pay their electricity bills at manual collection centers. “All our old collection centers have been activated. He said that customers are also free to pay their bills online through the JBVNL portal.