Indian State To Offer Online, Biometric Bill Payments

The Indian state of Orissa plans to introduce an online-payment system for the payment of electricity bills, a spokesperson for Orissa’s State Power Ministry tells PaymentsSource. “While other states have such systems for electricity for consumers in the urban areas, no one has done (it) in both rural and urban areas like we will,” the spokesperson says. Power-distribution companies in Orissa have signed a memorandum of understanding to offer the service. Consumers with payment cards and Internet access would make payments through an Orissa Web site. Urban utility customers would be able to pay bills using credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards and online funds transfers, according to the spokesperson. Customers in rural areas would use biometric readers that read fingerprint algorithms to make payments from bank accounts. The state expects to deploy at least 5,000 biometric readers, the spokesperson says, noting the service for urban customers is scheduled to begin on Jan. 1 followed by rural service in February.