The web and mobile applications for Government Consumer Management System (GCMS) developed in collaboration of Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India; Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, Govt. of Odisha; National Informatics Centre and Tata Power have been launched by Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, Minister of Agriculture and Farmer’s Empowerment & Energy Department, Government of Odisha and Shri Rabi Narayan Naik, Hon’ble Cabinet Minister of Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water and Rural Development Department, Government of Odisha on 13th August, 2024 at Lokseva Bhawan, Bhubaneswar.

With the launch of GCMS, Odisha has become the first state in India to integrate eGramSwaraj application of NIC with the Power Billing and Payment System of Tata Power. This pioneering integration enables 6,794 Gram Panchayats across Odisha to pay their electricity bills online, streamlining the process of electricity bill payment at GP level and enhancing the ability of distribution companies (DISCOMs) to track pending payments.

The launch event was attended by prominent officials including Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani, IAS, Principal Secretary of Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department; Shri Saswat Mishra, IAS, Principal Secretary of Energy Department; Dr. Ashok Kumar Hota, Deputy Director General & SIO, NIC Odisha along with the CEO of TPCODL and senior officers from NIC, Tata Power and various government departments.

In his address, Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Hon’ble Dy. Chief Minister highlighted the goal of GCMS to promote good governance, while Shri Rabi Narayan Naik, Hon’ble Cabinet Minister underscored role of this platform in improving service delivery through digital payment solutions for electricity consumptions in Gram Panchayats.

Shri Sushil Kumar Lohani presented an overview of the application’s features and benefits, stating that its implementation in all Gram Panchayats of Odisha will greatly enhance e-Governance at the local level. He informed that Odisha is the first state to integrate the eGramSwaraj application with billing system of Tata Power, a move that has been praised by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India.

Shri Sanjay Banga, President, Tata Power, attended the event virtually, expressing his gratitude to the Panchayati Raj & Drinking Water Department, Energy Department, NIC and Tata Power Odisha DISCOMs for their efforts in implementing the system in Odisha.

Dr. Ashok Kumar Hota also thanked the NIC headquarters team for their support in making the GCMS a reality. The objectives and functionalities of the system was demonstrated by a 3.11-minute video during the event.

Recognizing Odisha's leadership in this initiative, the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India, has encouraged other states to adopt similar integrations between their eGramSwaraj portals and state DISCOMs.