Smart Card project: Government offices to get POS machines in 45 days

A senior Corporation official said that the first phase of the project would aim at equipping government offices with the required infrastructure to ensure cashless transaction. “Within the next 45 days, we would install Point of Sales (PoS) machines in government offices like the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (Tangedco) and Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewage Board (CMWSSB) offices. Corporation offices and services will also be equipped with these machines,”  said the official.

For the project tendered out under  the Integrated Common Card Payment System (ICCPS), the Greater Chennai Corporation has partnered with ICICI  Bank as its financial partner in  this endeavour. The card can be used for  a range of payments for Corporation services, Tangedco, CMWSSB and other payments. 

Corporation sources said that this Smart Card would function much like a debit card, allowing direct payments for civic services. This is a way to ensure that the civic body opts for a cashless mode of payment, as taxes can now be remitted through cash, demand draft and cheques. “These government offices will accept only the Smart Card issued by the Corporation, to ensure that there are takers for this facility,” said the official. 

The Smart Cards will be available at e-Seva centres for a nominal amount – the exact rate has not been decided yet. Users can top up the card at these centres or online. However, deliberations are still going on regarding the technology that will be suited to largescale integration with other services at later stages of the project.