Oath taking of new DERC chief in Delhi ‘soon’, but no date fixed

On Tuesday, the LG office wrote the Delhi government pointing out to the delay in swearing-in the new DERC chief

The Delhi government will soon administer oath to newly appointed Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairman, justice (retired) Umesh Kumar, state power minister Atishi said on Wednesday amid a tussle between the elected government and the lieutenant governor over the appointment of the power regulatory body chief.

Atishi, who is supposed to administer the oath of office to Kumar, hit back on Wednesday, and said the state government was ready to swear-in the DERC chief . (PTI)

However, no date has been fixed for the event, government officials said.

On Tuesday, the LG office wrote the Delhi government pointing out to the delay in swearing-in the new DERC chief. Atishi, who is supposed to administer the oath of office to Kumar, hit back on Wednesday, and said the state government was ready to swear-in the DERC chief.  

“We are ready to administer oath to the newly appointed DERC chairman. We believe in Constitution and follow the norms. We are surprised that the LG, who was sitting on the file of appointment of DERC chairman for six months, is referring to the Constitution over oath taking, just after three working days of his appointment. We have already challenged the appointment of the DERC chairman in the Supreme Court but since there is no stay, we will get the oath done,” Atishi said.

Kumar was appointed DERC chief on June 21. The Delhi government has termed the decision “unconstitutional” and said that it will challenge the appointment in the Supreme Court. The government pointed out that Kumar’s appointment came the same day as Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal approving the name of justice (retired) Sangeet Lodha to the post.

The government and the LG were engaged in a tussle over the appointment to the post that fell vacant in January. Despite the government sending the file to the LG for approval of CM’s choice to the post, justice (retired) RK Shrivastava. When the LG did not give a final approval, the government moved the Supreme Court, which endorsed the government’s stand. When Shrivastava expressed his inability to take up the assignment, the chief minister suggested Lodha’s name for the post. But, the same day, Kumar was appointed to the post.