Haryana: Discom's reward for panchayats that make 95% payments online

GURUGRAM: Nearly 60% of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) consumers already pay their electricity bills in the digital mode, with the discom receiving 80% of the total amount charged online, and a newly-launched scheme will encourage more such digital payments.
Under it, the DHBVN will be rewarding panchayats achieving 95% digital payments with Rs 5 lakh, those with over 90% digital payments with Rs 2 lakh, and those with over 80% digital payments with Rs 1 lakh.
DHBVN managing director PC Meena said, "The rewards have been earmarked for panchayats to encourage consumers to use the digital payment mode." The discom started allowing digital payments in 2011-12, but the mode only picked up pace during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
Meena said that about 60% of the consumers, including domestic, commercial, agricultural and industrial consumers, are currently paying power bills digitally. Consumers can check their bill information and make the digital payments from the DHBVN website, i.e., www.dhbvn.org.in.
Meena added that the discom would give online prizes worth Rs 2,100 to encourage rural consumers to make digital payments. "Under the scheme, we will reward one lucky consumer in the panchayat," he said. "The purpose of this scheme is to make consumers pay their electricity bills online," Meena added.