Bains set to head PSERC

Ruchika M Khanna

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 1

Retired bureaucrat DS Bains, who is presently serving as the chairperson of Punjab Infrastructure Regulatory Authority (PIRA), is likely to be appointed chairperson of Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC). The announcement is expected to be made anytime now.

It will be the third post-retirement job for Bains. Considered close to Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, Bains — upon his retirement in February 2014 — was appointed chairperson of the Police Complaints Authority.

However, he was removed after the state government was forced to withdraw the notification regarding his appointment along with that of two other members in May 2014. Later in December, he was “adjusted” and appointed as the chairperson of PIRA for a five-year term.

Top sources told The Tribune that the three-member screening committee of the Punjab Government, headed by retired HCjudge GC Garg, had recommended the name of Bains and SK Anand (a technocrat) for the top post in PSERC.

The two names were sent to the Chief Minister who is supposed to take a final call on the appointment. Sources say that the name of Bains has been finalised and would be announced within a day or so. As Bains is now 62 years old, he will be serving in PSERC for three years.

The sources said the government had taken legal opinion before finalising Bains’ name. The Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002, says that a person who has taken re-employment in a government undertaking cannot be appointed on a similar post in another state government undertaking. However, the opinion given by the office of Advocate General Punjab says that PSERC is not a state government undertaking, based on a definition of state government undertaking as specified in the Punjab Infrastructure (Development and Regulation) Act, 2002.