BHUBANESWAR: The State government has initiated the process to fill up the post of chairperson of the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) at a time when the quasi judicial body is all set to conduct public hearing for determination of power tariff for the financial year 2022-23.
The Energy department invited applications for the post of OERC chairperson the day the post-holder retired. The tenure of former IAS officer and chairman of the commission UN Behera came to an end on January 15.
An advertisement issued by the Energy department stated, “the post of chairperson of OERC will fall vacant w.e.f 16.01 2022. The State government has constituted a selection committee for filling up of the vacant post as per provision of Section 85 of Electricity Act, 2003.”
Eligible candidates were given 30 days time to apply for the post. However, the last date has been extended to January 21 by a recent notification. The selection of the chairman is likely to be over by time the two-member commission will pass power tariff orders for the next fiscal. Usually, the tariff orders for all categories of consumers are announced in the last week of March as the new tariff orders come into effect from April 1 of every financial year.
Curiously, one of the members joined the commission on December 29, 2021 against the vacancy that arose in October following superannuation of Souri Kanta Parhi, a retired Air Vice-Marshal and member of OERC. Former chief engineer, Central Electricity Authority, Sushanta Kumar Ray Mohapatra replaced Parhi.
As per section 85 of the Electricity Act, 2003, the process for selection of a suitable person as chairperson should have started six months before and the process completed within a maximum of three months. “The State government shall within one month from the date of occurrence of any vacancy by reason of death, resignation or removal of the chairperson or a member and six months before the end of tenure of the chairperson or member, make a reference to the selection committee for filling up of the vacancy,” said the Central Act. Sources familiar with the subject said the post was kept for Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra for post-retirement appointment. Since Mahapatra’s tenure as Chief Secretary was extended by another six months, the department was asked to invite applications for the post of chairperson.
As a temporary arrangement, Gajendra Mohapatra was appointed as the acting chairperson of OERC, the same day Behera retired. A member of the State Judicial Service and former District and Session Judge, Mohapatra, joined the Commission on June 1, 2020. Now speculation is rife as to who among the senior bureaucrats will be rehabilitated in the chairman post which carries a monthly salary of Rs 2.25 lakh.