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The Nagaland Power department has announced that electricity bills will be made available to consumers electronically (e-billing) only via SMS, email, and through the department’s web portal, in line with energy conservation, the Digital India initiative and to save the environment. This transition will cause some inconveniences, as is the case with most changes, but the benefits will be manifold. By eliminating paper-based invoicing, the department can streamline the billing process, enhance efficiency, reduce cost, save time, reduce carbon footprint and improve the customer experience, among others. Automation of bill generation, delivery and payment tracking will also reduce manual workload. It is another laudable digital move by the state government. In fact, the state has come a long way in digitisation and e-Governance, which can enhance productivity, efficacy and transparency by making important data available on public domain. This transformation was visible during the pandemic, with the Health department doing an impressive job updating a comprehensive picture of the COVID situation in the state on a daily basis. The National e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) later ranked Nagaland highest among the Northeast and Hill States in terms of providing a single window access to information and service links. The state has launched several portals with an aim to ensure transparency in governance by making government projects, schemes, work progress and other important data public. What needs to be pondered is how promptly various departments are updating these portals and whether citizens are availing the services. Public participation is vital for the success of any initiative. In this spirit, the citizens of Nagaland should embrace the digitisation of electricity bills.
In the meantime, the Power department should ensure a hassle-free updating of consumer credentials. It may have to go out of its way to help consumers in rural areas register and update their profiles, as well as overcome resistance to change. It also can’t ignore other possible unseen problems like non-possession of mobile phones, network inaccessibility, etc., especially in remote areas. Another potential threat is impersonation by scammers. The recent scam message circulating via SMS, WhatsApp and email, threatening consumers with disconnecting electricity for non-payment of bills, was a case in point. The concerned authorities should create awareness about the possible consequences of responding to unsolicited messages and clicking suspicious links to ensure that no innocent people fall victim to fraud. Meanwhile, the department should strive towards providing uninterrupted power supply by enhancing the billing system via smart metres, checking power theft and taking tangible measures to meet the ever-growing expenditure on power purchases, which amounts to nearly INR 300 crore annually. Paper-less billing has no value if we remain power-less.