CERC set to go fully operational as Member Law Pravas Kumar Singh takes oath of office

• With the new Member (Law) taking charge of the post at CERC, the regulatory body will be able to resume adjudicatory functions as well

• In a verdict passed on January 20 this year, the SC had allowed CERC to resume administrative operations but had maintained a stay on adjudicatory functions

New Delhi: Pravas Kumar Singh, who had been appointed as Member (Law) of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) recently in December 2020, was administered oath of office by Power Minister RK Singh on Monday, paving the way for the regulatory body to resume all operations. The CERC had suspended hearings since August 28 after the Supreme Court (SC) asked two members of CERC to go on leave until the time Member (Law) is appointed. In a verdict passed on January 20 this year, the SC had allowed CERC to resume administrative operations and pass orders on 174 reserved cases. The court had also allowed the two CERC Members — former Power Grid Chairman IS Jha and former bureaucrat Arun Goyal — to resume office. However, the SC had stated that adjudicatory functions will only commence after a Member (Law) has been appointed.

Now with the new Member (Law) taking charge of the post at CERC, the regulatory body will be able to resume adjudicatory functions as well.

Pravas Singh has served as Member (Legal) of Jharkhand SERC

Pravas holds an LLB degree and was working as Member (Legal) in Jharkhand SERC before the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet cleared his appointment as Member (Law) of CERC. 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.

CERC

The CERC had been established by the government under the provisions of the Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998. CERC is the Central Commission for the purposes of the Electricity Act, 2003 which has repealed the ERC Act, 1998. The Commission consists of a Chairperson and four other Members including Chairperson, Central Electricity Authority who is the ex-officio Member of the Commission.

ALSO READ: SC allows CERC to pass orders on 174 reserved cases, resume administrative operations

Major functions of CERC under the act are to regulate the tariff of generating companies owned or controlled by the Central government, to regulate the tariff of other generating companies having a composite scheme for generation and sale of electricity in more than one state, to regulate the inter-state transmission of electricity and to determine tariff for such transmission of electricity, etc. Under the Act, CERC shall also advise the Central government on formulation of National Electricity Policy and Tariff Policy, promotion of competition, efficiency and economy in activities of electricity industry, promotion of investment in electricity industry, and any other matter referred to the Central Commission by the government.

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