The Hindu : New Delhi News : Lokayukta notice to DERC members over “abuse of position”

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Saturday, Feb 12, 2011
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Lokayukta notice to DERC members over “abuse of position”

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Based on a complaint that the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission has failed to protect the interest of consumers, the Lokayukta's office has issued notices to the current and a former members of the Commission.

The complainant Ravinder Balwani had approached Lokayukta Justice Manmohan Sarin to take action against the current member of DERC Shyam Wadhera and a former member S. R. Sethi for “abusing their position to obtain gains for the BRPL, BYPL and NDPL.”

The complainant had pointed out that making and issuing annual tariff order is a quasi-judicial function being discharged by the Commission.

He has objected to the way the Delhi Government sought “statutory advice” from the DERC and subsequently the tariff order could not be passed.

The complainant has also pointed out that the members seemed to “act under the influence of private discoms and city government”. In the petition, the complainant alleged that although the members had agreed to slashing the tariff for the year 2010-11 proposed during the tenure of then chairperson Berjinder Singh, but later changed their stance.

In May, just ahead of the tariff announcement, the Government based on the petitions filed by the discoms had stalled the announcements by asking the DERC for a statutory advice.

The complainant in his petition has also submitted that the tariff order was stalled for “extraneous considerations” despite clear legal advice of the Solicitor General.

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