Serving IAS officer made MERC member; experts raise concerns
MUMBAI: Questions are being raised in the state’s power corridors over the appointment of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Mukesh Khullar as a member of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Authority (MERC). Experts have pointed out that the appointment of Khullar reeks of conflict of interest.
Khullar, however, said the appointment was as per the provisions of the Indian Administrative Services (Cadre) Rules, the Electricity Act and MERC regulations
MERC is a quasi-judicial body, which hears cases, among other things, between state power entities and private players. Experts have questioned the appointment on the grounds that Bhullar is still a government servant. Normally, retired IAS officers are named members of regulatory bodies. A 1985-batch IAS officer, Khullar is set to retire on February 28 next year. Earlier, he served as addition chief secretary of the general administration department.
Sources said it’s the first time that the three-member MERC panel does not have a technical expert. Besides the IAS officer, the state’s energy department on Tuesday named Iqbal Majhar Hussain Bohri, retired district judge from Nagpur, as another member of MERC. “If a member belonging to IAS hears such cases it may lead to a conflict of interest. Such an appointment to any autonomous body on deputation is neither done in the Central nor in state government. Recently, when Vijay Satbir Singh was appointed on Maharashtra Real Estate Regulatory Authority, he opted to voluntary retire from the civil services,” said an ex-member on MERC.
Both the appointments were done by an appointing panel headed by a retired judge on May 25. The government had to change its plan of appointing a technical member after Supreme Court , in its order in April this year, made it mandatory to appoint one of the members with judicial background. The MERC is headed by retired IAS officer Anand Kulkarni.
Khullar said, “Section 6(2)(ii) of the IAS Rules allows the appointment of any autonomous body, not controlled by the government, on deputation. Though I have not opted for the voluntary retirement, I am no longer in the service of the state government. There is no question of conflict of interest as I am governed by MERC regulations.”