Services provider Jusco has launched a mobile app to facilitate online bill payments of around 45,000 water and electricity consumers, making Jamshedpur the first city of Jharkhand to fully enjoy the benefits of technology in the realm of civic amenities.

Tata Steel subsidiary Jusco, or Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company, catering to residents within the company's command area, has tied up with Internet-based payment platform Bill Desk to launch the system that will spare users the trouble of waiting in long queues to pay monthly electricity and water bills.

A Jusco consumer can now download the app either from the homepage of the Jusco website ( www.juscoltd.com) or download it from Google playstore by simply typing 'Jusco Bill' on their smartphones (both Android and iOS).

'One will have to write his/her customer number in the app to get details of the bills and last payments made. Thereafter, he/she can touch on the payment mode and use a debit or credit card to make payments. The consumer will get a confirmation SMS on his/her mobile soon after the payment is made,' a Jusco spokesperson explained.

Inaugurating the service on Friday, Tata Steel vice-president (corporate services) Sunil Bhaskaran said steel city fulfilled most of the Centre's criteria of a 'smart city'.

'We have been providing 24x7 quality power and water services to our customers with better sewerage and drainage facility, good road connectivity and green spaces. However, we have to work on mass rapid transport system,' he said.

Jusco MD Ashish Mathur agreed, adding that the launch of the app reinforced Jusco's slogan: Aao Dost Saath Milkar, Apne Shaher ko Smart Banayen.

The app to pay bills is in addition to the online payment option which Jusco has long been offering, like several other civic service providers, Calcutta Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) for instance.

'As of now, Jusco is only civic service provider of its kind in the east to come out with an app to facilitate bill payments,' claimed Jusco spokesperson Rajesh Rajan.

Jusco's customer-friendly initiatives began in 2004 when it launched Sahyog Kendra, a 24x7 helpline and complaint management system. Then came a single-window service hub with initiatives like an air-conditioned bill payment counter and Grahak Seva Kendra.

The third stage of improvements focused on setting up several payment counters across town, using SMS to hook up with customers, and ensuring bill payments through ATP, or any time payment, machines.

The fourth stage focused on auto-mode bill payment with facilities like direct debits from savings accounts through Bill Desk.

Jusco has a general consumer base (non-Tata employees) of 45,000 power and water connections, catering to nearly 700,000 residents of Tata command areas.

Tata Steel employees, numbering nearly 17,000, who use Jusco services, have their bill amounts deducted from their monthly salaries.