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

MMRDA proposes formation of Fare Fixation Committee for Metro Lines 2A & 7

Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has proposed the constitution of a Fare Fixation Committee (FFC) for Mumbai Metro Lines 2A and 7, currently operated by Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL). ‘Fare Fixation’ is mandated under Section 33

‘Op Sindoor not an act of revenge, but a new form of justice’

Emphasizing that Operation Sindoor was not an act of revenge, but a new form of justice, prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday remarked that it was not just an expression of outrage but a display of India`s unwavering strength and determination. He asserted that the nation has adopted a bold approach, s

An ode to the enduring legacy of India’s temple culture

Dynasties of Devotion: The Secrets of 7 Iconic Hindu Temples By Deepa Mandlik (Translated from the Marathi by Aboli Mandlik) HarperCollins, 232 pages, Rs 399

How to improve India’s crèche system

India stands at a pivotal moment, caught between the promise of a demographic dividend and the crisis of gender inequality. While falling fertility rates, rising female education, and increasing labour force participation signal progress, policymakers continue to neglect one of the most invisible yet vital

Why trademarking ‘Operation Sindoor’ is not advisable

The question of whether the name ‘Operation Sindoor’ or even the standalone term ‘Sindoor’ can be registered as a trademark becomes complex and sensitive when viewed through the lens of its prior use by the Indian armed forces in a counter-terrorism operation. In such cases, the iss

JPC on simultaneous elections hold consultations in Maharashtra

The Joint Committee on the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, has conducted extensive consultations with key stakeholders in Maharashtra regarding the feasibility and implications of simultaneous elections.

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now



Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter