The Delhi high court on Tuesday came down heavily on the Delhi government and the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) after the perusal of a file in connection with the appointment of members of the power regulator, saying “it is not a happy state of affairs.”
“I have seen files in English and Urdu also but not a mixed file like this where pages and notings are not in order,” a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Manmohan said. The court passed these remarks after perusing the file relating to the appointment of members of DERC, which was provided, though reluctantly, to the judges by the Delhi government. The court was hearing a PIL, which accused the government of succumbing to pressure from the discoms.
The PIL alleged, the DERC told the Delhi government that discoms were sitting on a combined cash profit of over `300 crores per month and it was time to reduce the power tariff rates. “It is the most sorry state and the state (Delhi government) has to do a pro-active role but the state is lost despite the fact that it has immense powers,” the bench observed.
The court was unhappy over the issue of fixing of power tariff for the city and rapped the city government and the DERC.
The lawyer for the Delhi government tried to clarify by saying that the selection of the DERC members was a complex issue.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for one of the discoms, submitted that the issue of power tariff could be decided at a later stage but the issue of fuel surcharge be decided as it was hurting the power companies.
The court then deferred the matter for further hearing on February 11.