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| SERC revived | | Maria Desalphine is new chairman, Pawar Member | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 29: Nearly five months after it fell headless, the state government today revived the all-important State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) with appointment of two retired officers as Chairman and Member.
The state cabinet which met in Srinagar today under Chief Minister Omar Abdullah approved appointment of a Chairperson and Member of J&K State Electricity Regulatory Commission which has been almost defunct since May this year after expiry of the term of last Chairman KB Pillai.
According to an official spokesman, the cabinet approved appointment of SM Desalphine, a retired IAS officer as Chairman and DS Pawar, a retired Chief Engineer as its Member. Desalphine is an IAS officer of J&K cadre of 1974 batch but he could not make to the post of Chief Minister even as his names came for cabinet discussion twice in last three years.
The State Electricity Regulatory Commission is a powerful autonomous body regulating the power projects in Jammu and Kashmir. SERC becomes all the more important in view of commissioning of Baglihar project last year, initiation of process on Baglihar phase second and other power projects in the state. However, the Commission always got a raw deal from the government as it mostly remained nearly defunct for lack of authority and the required strength.
A retired IAS officer KB Pillai was appointed as Commissioner of SERC in June 2004 after a tiff between two coalition partners then Peoples Democratic Party and the Congress. The PDP had wanted to appoint as local officer as head of SERC but Congress, particularly the then Deputy Chief Minister Mangat Ram Sharma pitched for KB Pillai, a Keralite. Mangat had even left a cabinet meeting in huff when the cabinet wanted to decide otherwise. The then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed later succumbed to Congress pressure.
After spending five year term, Pillai retired in May this year and since then the Commission has been nearly defunct. At the time of Pillai’s retirement there was only one Member at the SERC against a sanctioned strength of Chairman and two Members.
The new Chairman of the SERC, S Maria Desalphine has served Jammu and Kashmir in various capacities and remained Managing Director of State Power Development Corporation some nine years back. He also served as Principal Secretary Planning and Development, remained at prolonged central deputation was also Director General of Institute of Management and Public Administration.
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