Common service centers to work as payment gateway -Governance Now

Common service centers to work as payment gateway

Villagers can now pay their utility bills through common payment gateway

GN Bureau | June 16, 2016

#RBI #common service center #payment gateway #NPCI #BBPS

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted in-principle license to common service centers (CSCs), operating across rural India, to operate as Bharat Bill Payment System Operating Units (BBPOUs) under the Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS), an authorised payment system by National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), said union telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday.

BBPS will work as an integrated bill payment system, offering inter-operable and accessible bill payment services to customers through a network of agents, enabling multiple payment modes, and providing instant confirmation of receipt of payment.

The license would allow more than 1.6 lakh CSCs, government service delivery points, to become a common payment gateway where villagers can pay their utility bills including electricity, water and phone. Payment mode varies from cash to electronic system like net banking, debit or credit card.

CSCs, a part of Digital India mission, are being operated by village-level-entrepreneurs (VLEs). At present, they offer government-to-citizen services to villagers digitally, including PAN card services, Aadhaar services and election services, and also offer mobile recharging facilities.

These centres also work as an information point where villagers can visit and know about government schemes available on internet.

There are total 1, 66, 671 functional CSCs across India, as of May 2016.

The minister said that facility at BBPOUs can be extended for collection of university fee, mutual funds, and insurance premium. The license may take three months to become operational as it requires integration with NPCI, a press release from government stated.

In October 2015, RBI invited applications from entities operating in payment of bills and desirous of operating as Bharat Bill Payment System Operating Units (BBPOUs) under the Bharat Bill Payment System.

Comments

Other News

How a successful company is like a castle

Your Company Is Your Castle: How to Build a Successful Company By Sandeep Chennakeshu Aleph Book Company, 320 pages, Rs 899

Transforming waste into wealth with Asia’s largest Bio-CNG plant

In the heart of Indore, a city renowned for its cleanliness, a quiet revolution is brewing. The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has achieved something remarkable: a plant that takes the waste produced by thousands of households and transforms it into clean, green energy. The GOBARdhan plant, inaugurated

`One Nation One Election` gets cabinet nod

The union cabinet, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections under the chairmanship of former president Ram Nath Kovind. Simultaneous elections: recommendations of high-level committee

Kejriwal resigns as Delhi CM, Atishi stakes claim

Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday resigned as Delhi chief minister, even as the party supported Atishi to take over that position. Kejriwal, facing corruption allegations in an excise policy case, was granted bail by the Supreme Court last week. His colleague, deputy

Lines that unite, lines that separate

Lines and Lives: Stories of Conflict, Resilience and Hope from Jammu and Kashmir Borderlands Edited by Mohita Bhatia, Rekha Chowdhary and Sandeep Singh Orient BlackSwan, 280 pages, Rs 1,510

WEF, MMRDA ink deal to transform MMR into global fin hub

The World Economic Forum (WEF) will provide funds to Maharashtra government for making Mumbai Metroplolitan Region (MMR) a global financial hub. An MoU between MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) and WEF was signed by Klaus Schwab, founder and executive Chairman, World