This story is from November 10, 2016

Power bill payment soon through ATMs : Minister

Power bill payment soon through ATMs : Minister
Representative image.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Power minister Kadakampally Surendran said in the assembly that the government is having discussion with the banks to make the power bill payment through ATMs. The discussion is on the final stage and the government expects that the consumers can be given this facility soon.
He said the government is exploring all the latest technologies to help the consumers in paying their power bills.
At present the department will be introducing cash deposit machines and it will be extended to more places in phases. Such machines will be first introduced in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Kozhikode in the first phase. The cash deposit machine will work round the clock in all the centres.
However there is also a proposal of paying the power bill directly from the account of the consumer. The discussion with the banks is also on this, said the minister. The government’s aim is to make the most simplest way for the consumers to pay the power bill.
The minister said that there is also a demand for collecting the cash at the door step of the consumers when the bill is given through the spot billing machine by the KSEB official. For this the government is planning to have a discussion with all the trade union and employees’ union leaders about the proposal. With the support of the employees’ the government would like to introduce such a facility.
Cooperation minister A C Moitheen said in the assembly that there is court intervention in providing the details of the depositors in the cooperative banks. Only through court directions that the government could provide the details of the depositors even if the details are sought through right to information act.
Education minister C Raveendranath said that the government is considering a proposal to sanction new colleges and courses in the higher education sector. However it has been decided not to provide any more sanction for new colleges in the aided and self financing sector, said the minister.
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