Justice Umesh Kumar Appointed as New DERC Chairman, Set to Take Oath on March 24
Justice Umesh Kumar, a retired judge of the Allahabad High Court, has been appointed as the chairman of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC). He is set to take the oath of office on March 24, administered by Delhi Power Minister Ashish Sood at the Delhi Secretariat.
This appointment follows a period of contention regarding the DERC chairmanship. In June 2023, Justice Kumar was initially appointed to the position by the Lieutenant Governor, a move contested by the then Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, leading to a legal dispute. The Supreme Court intervened, appointing retired Justice Jayant Nath as the pro tem chairman due to a lack of consensus between the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor.
Justice Nath continued in the role until recently, stepping down following the formation of a new government in Delhi. With the resolution of previous disputes, Justice Kumar's appointment has now been formalized. The DERC is responsible for regulating electricity tariffs and overseeing the operations of power distribution and generation companies in the national capital. One of Justice Kumar's immediate tasks will be to address the pending tariff order, which has not been revised for three consecutive financial years. The DERC has initiated the process for determining the power tariff for the financial year 2024-25 by publishing relevant documents and seeking feedback from consumers and stakeholders.
