Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has once again sent the file for the appointment of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairperson to the Lieutenant Governor (LG).The Delhi government has nominated retired Justice Rajiv Kumar Srivastava for the DERC chairperson.
"The recent decisions handed down by the Supreme Court on May 11, 2023, in the Services Matter, and on May 19, 2023, in the DERC matter, reaffirmed the constitutional framework that requires the LG to act upon the 'aid and advice' of the state government, except in matters pertaining to land, law and order, and the police force," the Chief Minister's office said.
It stated that the appointment of the DERC chairperson is crucial to effectively regulate the electricity sector in Delhi. Four months ago, Kejriwal approved the appointment of Srivastava as the DERC chairperson.
The proposal was moved by the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia, who was in charge of the power ministry. Previously, the appointments of the two previous DERC chairpersons were done through the same process outlined in the Electricity Act.
The Delhi government had also filed a petition in the Supreme Court regarding the matter. In the petition, it stated that Srivastava was proposed in January as the new DERC chairperson.On May 19, the Supreme Court ordered the Delhi LG to take a decision on the matter within two weeks.
"The Supreme Court also stated that the LG of Delhi is obligated to work in cooperation and on the aid and advice of the elected government. In light of the Supreme Court's order, Kejriwal has once again sent the file to the LG, recommending the appointment of Srivastava as the DERC chairperson," said the CM's office.