President Murmu appoints retd Allahabad HC judge Umesh Kumar as DERC chairman

New Delhi [India], June 22 : President Droupadi Murmu appointed Justice (Retd) Umesh Kumar of Allahabad High Court as the Chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC).

"The President of India, in the exercise of the powers conferred by Section 45(b) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023, read with sub-section 2 of Section 84 of the Electricity Act, 2003 has appointed Justice (Retd.) Shri Umesh Kumar of Allahabad High Court as the Chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC)," read an official statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

This appointment comes subsequent to Justice (Retd) Rajeev Kumar Shrivastava (Madhya Pradesh High Court), who had been proposed for appointment as DERC Chairperson, by the GNCTD expressed his inability to be appointed as Chairperson.

Shrivastava expressed his inability to take charge due to "family commitments and requirements" through communication on June 15.

The appointment is likely to lead to a power tussle, as Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal put forward the name of Retired Justice Rajiv Kumar Srivastava for the role of DERC Chairperson.

The development came after the Supreme Court on May 19 ordered directing Lt Governor of Delhi to act on the aid and advice of the council of ministers and to appoint a DERC chairperson within two weeks.

Four months ago in January, Kejriwal had approved the appointment of retired Justice Rajiv Kumar Srivastava as the DERC Chairperson."The proposal was presented by then-Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who was in charge of the Power Ministry. Prior to this, the appointment of the two previous DERC Chairpersons was carried out through the same process outlined in the Electricity Act," the statement said.

Later, the Delhi Government filed a petition in the Supreme Court.

In the petition, the Delhi Government stated that the name of retired Justice Rajiv Kumar Srivastava, a former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, was proposed in January as the new DERC Chairperson.