BSES begins power bills in Braille for visually impaired

Power distribution companies BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) on Wednesday launched electricity bills in Braille as part of their outreach to the visually impaired.

January 4 is observed as World Braille Day to honour French educator Louis Braille, who developed the tactile representational system which is used by the visually impaired to “read” books and texts.

BSES’s first Braille bill was launched by noted lawyer SK Rungta, who is the general secretary of the National Federation of the Blind, at the BSES head office at Nehru Place. BSES director Amal Sinha, BRPL CEO Vineet Sikka and BYPL CEO Amarjeet Singh were also present.

BSES also launched its upgraded and voice-enabled mobile apps -- the BRPL Power App for residents of south and west Delhi, and BYPL Connect for those residing in east and central Delhi.

To register for a Braille bill, BSES said a consumer needs to register their contract account (CA) number and mobile through options like the BSES Mobile App, the BSES call centre or by email.

A spokesperson for the discom said, “The BSES electricity bill in Braille will cater to the specific needs of the visually impaired and empower them to better understand the various components of the electricity bill like units consumed, payment of due date, subsidy details, schemes etc. Households opting for the bill in Braille will continue to receive the regular BSES electricity bill.”