Bhubaneswar: The Pubic Health Engineering Organisaton (Pheo) has followed the civic body into the online age, having started digitising consumer data and other related documents.

The digital service will allow consumers to avail of an array of services, including bill payment and obtaining new drinking water supply connections.

The housing and urban development department issued an order in this regard, following which public health officials swung into action to introduce an online solution for services. The civic body has already started digitising data to introduce holding tax payment.

"We have issued instructions to all our three divisions to co-ordinate with technical officials of the urban development department and digitise the data. We have set a deadline of August 30 to complete the process," said an official from Pheo.

The consumers can only make monthly bill payments online. They either have to visit the Pheo's respective divisions or Jal Jogan Camps for new connections.

"The online service will benefit the consumers and us. It will save money, time and resources and ensure error-free service delivery. We hope to introduce the services by the end of September," said Pheo's superintending engineer C.R. Jena.

The Pheo has about 65,000 registered consumers for drinking water in the city. It has set a target to increase the number to 1.5 lakh by the end of this year. "We are taking steps to strengthen the water supply network and the digitisation of data will add to our efforts," said Jena.

Residents also welcomed the move. "People are opting for online services more frequently now. It is a timely move to introduce more service through online platforms," said Unit-II resident Niraj Panda.

Ganja seized

Central excise intelligence officials on Wednesday seized more than a quintal of ganja from OMP Square in Cuttack and arrested four persons. The accused have been identified as Pratap Dutta and Puspa Das, both from Bengal, and Subham Sahu and Kanhu Nayak of Cuttack. Following a tip-off, the officials intercepted an auto-rickshaw in which the accused were transporting the contraband. The ganja was being smuggled to Bengal from Phulbani, sources said. Excise officials said the market value of the seized contraband was estimated to be around Rs 6 lakh.