Move over serpentine queues and unpredictable Internet, pay your water and power bills on the go.

In the first-of-its-kind initiative in Jharkhand, residents of Jusco command areas in Jamshedpur will from Tuesday see their mobile phones double up as wallets anywhere, anytime, thanks to the Tata Steel subsidiary that has partnered with service provider Bharti Airtel and payment gateway BillDesk to launch the facility.

Currently, Jusco has a general consumer base (non-Tata Steel employees) of 45,000 power and water connections, which cater to nearly 700,000 residents in its command areas. All these people can avail of the new and convenient service. For nearly 17,000 connections used by Tata Steel employees, bill amounts are deducted from their salaries.

Jusco spokesperson Rajesh Rajan said that the mobile phone payment option was yet another step towards customer-centricity. “The facility will help customers pay their monthly utility bills from the comfort of their homes without needing to stand in queues or seeking an Internet connection,” he added.

Airtel Money is said to be a fast, simple and secure service that allows users to load cash on their mobile devices and pay utility bills as and when necessary, besides allowing phone recharges.

A non-Airtel Jusco consumer, after receiving bill through post or SMS alert, can also walk into an Airtel Money kiosk. The retailer will write bill details (name, business partner number and amount of bill) of the consumer in a record book and use his (retailer) SIM to pay utility bills. After consumer makes payment and confirmation SMS is received from Jusco, the retailer will hand over a receipt.

An Airtel Jusco consumer will have to visit the Airtel Money shop the first time. The retailer will open an express account on the consumer’s mobile phone. Cash, as required, will be loaded. The consumer can then pay the bill and the retailer will issue him a duly signed and stamped receipt provided by Jusco. Once the account is opened, a consumer can top it up as and when needed.

Jusco DGM (customer relations and corporate communication) A.P. Singh said that the objective of the ties-up was to provide improved facilities to customers.

“We started multi-mode facilities such as decentralised bill payment counters across town, information about bills through SMS and payment through ATP machines. The mobile payment option is another step towards friendly relations with our consumers,” Singh said.

Rajesh Kumar Singh, an official with a security agency, welcomed the facility. “Earlier, I went to ATP kiosks to pay my bills. Now, I will be spared the hassle. I hope there are no glitches in the mobile wallet system and more service providers join the circuit in the future,” said the resident of Bhatiya Park, Kadma.