GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 9th August. The Delhi government has appointed two pro tem members to the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), restoring the commission to its full strength, including a chairman, for the first time in over a year and a half.
The Power Department issued an order appointing Ram Naresh Singh and Surender Babbar as temporary members of the DERC. Their appointment follows their selection in March by a Supreme Court-appointed panel, officials said.
Initial delays in the appointment were attributed to the imposition of the model code of conduct during the Lok Sabha elections and subsequently due to the imprisonment of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The appointments were finalized after receiving approval from the Supreme Court.
Singh, an electrical engineer, previously served as the chairman of the Damodar Valley Corporation, while Babbar was the executive director (finance) at Delhi Transco Limited.
In August 2023, the Supreme Court appointed Justice (retd) Jayant Nath as the pro tem chairperson of the DERC amid a dispute between the AAP government and the Lieutenant Governor over the regulator’s leadership. In November 2023, the Court established a three-member panel to select and appoint two pro tem members for the DERC.
The pro tem members will serve until the resolution of the Supreme Court proceedings regarding the constitutional validity of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2023. One of their immediate tasks will be to finalize and announce the power tariff for the current fiscal year, an essential exercise that remains pending.
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