At a small general store doubling as a utility payment point, the owner hears the familiar request: "Bill check" A woman in a dupatta hands over a slip of paper with a reference number, and the store owner opens a dedicated LESCO portal on his second-hand laptop. The website is slow, and the cursor spins for nearly a minute. Then the results appear: a zero balance—already paid. "You are clear," he says, and the woman exhales. But before she turns to leave, she asks him to run one more "bill check"—this time for her elderly neighbor who cannot walk to the store. The store owner nods and types a second number. This time, the screen shows an overdue amount of 2,300 rupees with a disconnection notice issued three days ago. A simple bill check has just revealed a crisis waiting to happen, and the woman hurries out, phone already in hand to alert the neighbor before the LESCO team arrives with their cutters.