Rakesh mehta takes charge as city poll commissioner

Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta has been appointed as the election commissioner of Delhi. Mehta took the charge of the new office on Thursday.

Delhi chief secretary Rakesh Mehta has been appointed as the election commissioner of Delhi. Mehta took the charge of the new office on Thursday.

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Senior Delhi government officials said lieutenant-governor Tejendra Khanna approved Mehta’s appointment late on Wednesday evening.

Mehta, however, has not been relived from the office of chief secretary and is currently holding dual charge. Principal secretary to chief minister, PK Tripathi, is likely to succeed Mehta.

“The orders of Mehta’s replacement have to come from the home ministry. Since the home minister is not in Delhi, the orders could not be made. It will be done as soon as he is back,” a senior Delhi government official said.

A 1975-batch Indian Administrative Services officer, Mehta replaces OP Kelkar as state election commissioner. Mehta’s new appointment comes just few months before his retirement — in November.

Mehta was earlier tipped to be the chairman of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission, but was forced to

withdraw his application amid wide criticism from various residents’ bodies.

Sources said the chief minister initially wanted Mehta to be the new DERC chief but later convinced him to withdraw his application for fear of wide criticism.

Mehta’s transfer is likely to trigger a administrative overhaul in Delhi government. Senior officials said the government is working out a list of officials who would now be moved. With the Delhi government’s budget session over and the transfer of four officers — KK Sharma, RK Verma, Jalaj Shrivastava, Ramesh Negi — now imminent, Delhi government badly needs to reshuffle its officers.