CHANDIGARH: Government of India has failed to fill vacancies at level of Chairman Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and Member Hydro, thereby infringing Section 70 of the Electricity Act.

All India power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) in a letter to Prime Minister and Power Minister has demanded that government should fulfill its obligation to implement the statute and fill the vacant posts in CEA as mandated under section 70 of the Act

R K Verma retired on 30 June 2018 as Chairman CEA and the regular selection and appointment of new Chairman CEA remains undecided. Pankaj Batra Member Planning is now holding additional charge of chairman in addition to his own charge of Member Planning.

The retirement of R K Verma was on superannuation at 60 was well known to the government yet it failed to select new Chairman by 30 June.

It may also be mentioned that on similar pattern B K Arya Member Hydro had retired on 28 Feb 2018 on superannuation yet the post remains vacant even now.

While the Electricity Act 2003 allows up to 8 Full time members and up to 6 part time members , practically now there are 7 full time members with 3 vacancies leaving the total strength as only 4.

Pankaj Batra is acting chairman and member Planning, P S Mahske is member Power System, P D Siwal is Member Thermal and Somit Dasgupta is member Economic and Commercial. Posts of Member Hydro Electric and Member Grid Operation are vacant. Presently there are only 4 full time members with no regular Chairman.

By keeping 3 out of 7 posts vacant government has handicapped the CEA from performing its functions prescribed under Sec 3 of Electricity Act 2003, relating to National Electricity Plan, National Electricity Policy and Tariff policy.