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Patna, Oct. 22: For the convenience of consumers, Patna Electric Supply Undertaking (PESU) installed 10 Any Time Pay (ATP) machines at different centres in the capital.

The queues at the cash deposit counters, however, continue to grow as consumers seem reluctant to learn the new technology. Though easier and less time consuming, ATP machines remain unutilised as either the consumers are unaware of the new facility or hesitant to use it.

PESU, nearly a year go, installed 10 ATP machines in its 10 division in association with the Canara Bank to facilitate easy payments of electricity bills. The entire expenditure on installing the ATP machines was borne by Canara Bank, official sources said, adding that the bank charges PESU Rs 30,000 per annum for providing the funding. The bank has also provided a staff to guide the consumers depositing the bill money.

However, despite all this facility, the divisional offices, where people make bill payments at the manually regulated counters, remain crowded as the last date of bill payment approaches. The ATP machines, installed next to these counters, remain unused.

People standing in the queue to pay the bills admit that introduction of ATPs is a good step but refuse to use the machine. The obvious reason behind this reluctance is lack of awareness.

Dilip Kumar, an SBI employee who finds ATPs user friendly, said: “Earlier, depositing electricity bill was be a tedious and time-consuming job as one had to stand in a long queues, but now it is done within half-an-hour which saves time.”

Rajshekhar, a resident of Buddha Colony, said: “The ATP saves time. Moreover, I can deposit bills of my neighbours and friends too. The only problem is that the bills can be deposited only in your division. People still don’t believe that payments can be made through machines. Such inhibitions were there also when ATMs were installed

LIC’s development officer Avinash Chandra Singh echoed similar views. The only problem with the machine, according to Singh, is the condition that the bill payment can be made only in the particular division where the power metre is installed.

“The machine will be more effective and useful when the boundary of division is demolished. Suppose there is an ATP machine installed near your office but you can’t deposit the money in it because your division is different,” he said.

When contacted, PESU’s general manager S. K. P. Singh said: “The division condition will be done away with soon. It is in implementation stage and will take another two-three months. After that, people will be able to deposit the money wherever they want.”

“Asked why consumers prefer to stand in queues even at bill collecting centres installed in PESU premises, Singh said: “People (consumers) have a psychological barrier as they prefer to makepayments at the counters. It is the fact that people have inhibitions in adopting new technology but things are changing. At our New Capital and Dakbungalow divisions, ATPs are being used by the residents.”

PESU has 3.5 lakh consumers in the city and it would take time fro the people to learn the news technology, the GM said.