Jamshedpur, Nov. 25: Patient wait in queues to submit your utility bills will soon be a thing of the past.

Jamshedpur Utilities and Services Company (Jusco), a subsidiary of Tata Steel, today introduced an Any Time Payment (ATP) machine with cheque facility at its corporate office collection counter. Sharad Kumar general manager (power services) and V.D. Gopal Krishna, working president of Jusco Shramik Union, jointly inaugurated it.

“The ATP will function seven days a week and on holidays,” said Rajesh Rajan, head of Jusco’s corporate communication. He added that more machines would be put up for use at all bill collection counters from 6am to 10pm.

Jusco had installed an ATP machine in April this year at its central collection counter on trial basis. Buoyed by the tremendous response it received, the utility company decided to install ATPs at its other bill collection centres in Kasidih, Sonari and Sidhgora.

“ATP machines will start accepting payments by cheque by mid-December,” Rajan said.

Besides making payments, customers will also be able to get status reports of their electricity and water bills from these machines. Consumers will just have to feed in their cheque numbers, their mobile phone numbers and the amount payable at these machines and a status report will be generated. The ATPs will also generate automated receipts once a transaction is processed.

Significantly, keeping in mind consumer hardships, Jusco had also brought in a system, wherein an electricity bill of Rs 1,000 or more could be made through cheques.

“We are looking to phasing out the cash payment system completely to make the company more customer-friendly,” said Rajan.

Jusco, currently, accepts cash payments for any bill amount that is less than Rs 1,000.

Jusco will also install an ATP machine in the neighbouring town of Seraikela, where it has a parallel licence for power distribution.

Jusco had earlier strengthened its customer relationship management by introducing initiatives like centralised customer helpdesk at the Jusco Grahak Seva Kendra for power and water meter related queries. This was in addition to the company's Sahyog Kendra, — a 24x7 complaint management unit for utility and civic amenities. Jusco has also been delivering its utility bills through SMSs since January this year and will soon start sending bills via e-mails. The company also uses SMS alerts to provide information about power outages in Seraikela area.