India News | AK Singhal Resigns as DERC's Tariff Advisor Amid Vigilance Dept Probe
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Delhi power regulator DERC's principal advisor (tariff) AK Singhal, whose appointment was being probed by the vigilance department, has resigned from the post citing family and health issues, officials said on Wednesday.
New Delhi, Mar 29 (PTI) Delhi power regulator DERC's principal advisor (tariff) AK Singhal, whose appointment was being probed by the vigilance department, has resigned from the post citing family and health issues, officials said on Wednesday.
Singhal was recently served a memo by the Delhi government's directorate of vigilance.
A senior Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission functionary confirmed Singhal resigned on March 28. No reaction was immediately available from Singhal despite attempts to reach him.
The vigilance directorate this month issued a communication to Singhal, seeking his explanation over various “omissions and commissions” that allegedly violated statutory provisions and "compromised" the neutrality and independence of the DERC, an autonomous body.
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The directorate also sought replies from DERC and the Delhi power department over the appointment of Singhal and the alleged violation of rules involved in it.
No reaction was immediately available from the power department over the appointment of Singhal.
Another senior functionary at DERC, however, said the Commission will soon reply to the vigilance directorate.
"We had earlier conveyed to the directorate that it has no jurisdiction over the DERC. But we will reply to them in the next few days as they have again sent a request," he said.
Singhal was appointed to the post eight months after his retirement as a member of the three-member panel on turning 65 years old, in January 2021.
DERC determines annual rates of electricity at which domestic and commercial consumers have to pay their bills.
The issue assumes significance as free electricity is one of the flagship schemes of the AAP government in Delhi. Consumers using 200 units of electricity per month get a 100 per cent subsidy while those having 201-400 units monthly consumption avail 50 per cent or up to Rs 850 as a subsidy.
The vigilance directorate had cited a violation of Section 89 of the Electricity Act (barring appointment for two years after demitting DERC) in the appointment of Singhal by the Delhi government and raised a question mark over the "neutrality and objectivity” of the Commission.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)