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Former Himachal officer is Haryana power regulator
Sharma, a surprise pick as state power regulator, had a short but controversial stint as interim chairman of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in July
The Haryana government on Tuesday appointed a former Himachal Pradesh administrative service officer Nand Lal Sharma as the chairman of the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC).
Sharma, a surprise pick as state power regulator, had a short but controversial stint as interim chairman of Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) in July.
His stop-gap appointment as BBMB chairman had kicked up a
row as Punjab power engineers alleged adhocism by the Central government in appointing a non-engineer to head the Board.
Congress legislature party (CLP) leader in the assembly, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, said by appointing an outsider as HERC chairman, the BJP-led government had once again proved its anti-Haryana mindset.
“Bringing down the domicile requirement from 15 to 5 years to help outsiders gain advantage over the local Haryana residents, a badly drafted and defended 75% private sector quota law to mislead the youth are prime examples of what the BJP is up to,’’ Hooda said.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Chitra Sarwara said the BJP-led government’s hypocrisy was evident from such appointments. “While they were supposedly espousing the cause of Haryana youngsters by enforcing 75% reservation in the private sector but when it came to appointing the HERC chairman, they could only find an outsider from neighbouring Himachal Pradesh who would get paid from the state exchequer. It’s quite a mockery,’’ the AAP leader said.
Nand Lal Sharma who is the present chairman and managing director of Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, a central government public sector undertaking, will have a five-year term as HERC chairman till 2028.
