Finally, govt starts hunt for DERC chief
After more than three months of the retirement of the Delhi Electri-city Regulatory Commi-ssion (DERC) chairman Berjinder Singh, the city government has finally started the process of finding a replacement. The government is hopeful of completing the shortlisting of candidates by next month. The search panel, comprising Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) chairman Pramod Deo and a Delhi high court judge, has reportedly started the process of screening applicants. The DERC is also inviting applications for the post of secretary which has been lying vacant.
“So far, 48 applications have been received for the post. Among the applicants are bureaucrats and a retired high court judge. By next month, the screening process will be over. The procedure is that the lieutenant-governor appoints DERC chief on the recommendations of the search panel,” said a senior official.
Former DERC chairman Berjinder Singh had tried to lower power tariff but the move was stonewalled by the Delhi government. Though Mr Singh retired in September last year, the government has started the process of finding replacement quite late and by indications a new DERC chief could only be in office by March and would immediately face the challenge of deciding on new power tariff. The discoms have already submitted their documents seeking a hike in tariff. The two DERC members recently justified their demand for power tariff hike, with senior government officials indicating that they too favoured it. The discoms maintain that they are running into losses despite drastic cut in transmission and distribution losses. Mr Singh stressed that the discoms were earning healthy profits and would earn more with the availability of cheap power from new power stations.
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