LG tells government to hold swearing of new DERC chief soon
Delhi's lieutenant governor has written to the chief minister expressing concern over the delay in administering the oath of office to the newly appointed chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC). Justice (retired) Umesh Kumar was appointed to the post by the President on June 21. The Delhi power minister is responsible for administering the oath of office. The LG has requested that the oath be administered without delay and preferably by June 28.
Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena on Tuesday wrote to chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over “unnecessary delay” in administering oath of office to newly appointed chairperson of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) justice (retired( Umesh Kumar.
Kumar was appointed to the post by the President on June 21. The DERC chairman has to be administered oath by Delhi power minister Atishi.
“You are aware that the post of chairperson of DERC, which is crucial public office is vacant since long and now that the President has appointed justice (retired) Umesh Kumar, the same must be complied with immediate effect,” the LG wrote in a letter to Kejriwal. The LG urged the chief minister to ensure that the power minister administers the oath to DERC chief without any further delay, “preferably by June 28”.
In response to a request by the Delhi power department on June 26, justice Kumar said that he was available to take oath on June 27 to 29 after which he would be travelling outside Delhi.
Immediately after the appointment of justice Kumar to the post, Delhi power minister Atishi described the decision as unconstitutional, and added that the Delhi government will challenge the decision in the Supreme Court. Atishi said that the decision to appoint former judge Kumar was announced on the same day as the Delhi chief minister approved justice (retired) Sangeet Lodha to the post.
Meanwhile, leader of the opposition in Delhi assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri led a protest by a group of BJP MLAs outside Kejriwal’s residence against the “hike in electricity rates” in the city. “We have demanded an immediate rollback of the increased rates; we will continue to protest against the power hike till the rates are rolled back,” said Bidhuri.
An AAP official said the protest by the BJP was “misguided and misinformed”. “BJP should take the trouble of reading the DERC order which states how PPAC is entirely based on fluctuation of fuel prices i.e. coal and gas prices nationally. In fact, the DERC order explicitly states that the coal prices have become uncontrollable due to blending of imported coal. For the last one year, the Modi government has forced all power plants to use imported coal which is 10 times costlier. This is a complete failure of the Modi government.”