Jharkhand SERC’s Pravas Kumar Singh appointed Member (Law); CERC set to resume hearings

• The CERC had suspended hearings since August 28 after the Supreme Court asked two members of CERC to go on leave until the time Member (Law) is appointed

• Singh's appointment has been made for a fixed period of five years

New Delhi: The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) is set to resume operations as the Centre approved the appointment of Pravas Kumar Singh as Member (Law), a notification released by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) late on Friday night showed. The CERC had suspended hearings since August 28 after the Supreme Court asked two members of CERC to go on leave until the time Member (Law) is appointed. The SC order was based on the fact that the quorum for hearing should consist of two members, besides the CERC Chairperson.

"The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal for appointment of Pravas Kumar Singh, member (legal), Jharkhand SERC to the post of member (law) in the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, an official statement said," read the DoPT order.

Singh's tenure will last 5 years

It is interesting to note that Singh's appointment has been made for a fixed period of five years, while the tenure of CERC Chairman PK Pujari and the other recently appointed members have a fixed tenure of three years. Sources who spoke to PSU Watch said that Pujari's term ends in January. 

ALSO READ: CERC to remain non-functional until Nov. Here's what SC said

Now, after the CERC informs the Supreme Court about the new appointment, the regulatory body will be able to resume hearings. 

The backdrop

The Ministry of Power had informed the SC on December 7 that an approval from the ACC is awaited for the appointment of CERC Member (Law). In April 2018, the SC had directed state electricity commissions to appoint a Member from the field of law with qualifications of a high court or district judge. In line with the order, the Centre had floated vacancies for the appointment of Member (Law) in April 2019 and October 2019. However, the process was put on the backburner after the selection committee could not find suitable candidates.

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