No headway in appointment of Chairman, Members, Secy

SERC lost in oblivion?

JAMMU: As majority of populace across the state is riled over the basic issues related to water and power, ironically the regulatory bodies viz. State Water Regulatory Authority (SWRRA) and State Electricity Regulatory Commission (J&K SERC) are lying headless for two and one year, respectively.
If the J&K SWRRA is lying headless for the last two years since the retirement of the former chairperson and two members of the said body, the things are not better for the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (J&K SERC) either as it too remains headless for around a year now, awaiting for the due filing up of the vacant top chair.
For inept, after a lapse of around one year since the retirement of the former chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir State Electricity Regulatory Commission, Basharat Dar and two of other members of commission around two years ago and Secretary this year, no headway has been made to fill up the empty chairs till date.
Official sources told The News Now that the last chairman of the constitutional body, J&K SERC, Basharat Dar demitted office on December 25 last year, two members-member (Technical) and Member (Finance)-over two years ago while the former Secretary of the commission, KAS officer, Anil Gupta was transferred and posted as Joint Financial Commissioner, Agrarian Reforms in the office of Financial Commissioner, Revenue, against an available vacancy on June 21 this year, thus making the commission "dysfunctional."
"Gupta was the last serving official in the SERC which has been lying headless since the end of the term of its last chairman Basharat Ahmed Dar," sources lamented.
They said, "Even the post of Superintendent Engineer (SE) remained vacant for a longer period of time but now, one officer, Ajay Kaul has joined the organization as SE".
However with a bit of sheer optimism, the sources within regulatory body said a panel for the appointment of the chairman, two members and a secretary has been constituted and the appointments will be made possibly at the end of this month.
"For the appointment of chairman, members and secretary of the commission, the panel is headed by Chief Secretary and it comprises of Commissioner Secretary PDD and Commissioner Secretary Law besides one official from Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), sources added.
They said, "Applications have been invited from those officials having proficiency in management, law and PDD."
"The panel sends two recommendations each against available vacancies to the cabinet for the clearance of names of the officials to be appointed in the commission," official sources added.
Principal Secretary to Government, Power Development Department (PDD), Dheeraj Gupta when contacted, said, "The process of appointment has been initiated and soon the matter would be put in the cabinet to fill the coveted posts."
On whether some incharge chairman has been appointed, he said, "No, because appointments would be cleared very soon."
Ten months back, this newspaper had contacted Gupta regarding the vacant posts in SERC. His reply was-"Within days, we are putting this matter before the cabinet to clear the appointments."
It is worth mentioning here that the State Electricity Regulatory Commission has the responsibility of fixation of tariff for all sorts of consumers besides regulating operation of power system.
It also regulates power purchase and procurement process of the transmission utilities. The SERC Chairman is entrusted to monitor the functioning of the Power Development Department vis-à-vis providing facilities to consumers and is the supreme authority to decide on the Public Interest Litigations and complaints against the Power Department by the consumers.