Shillong, July 4: The Supreme Court has postponed the oath-taking ceremony of Justice Umesh Kumar, the appointed chairperson of the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), until July 11. The court ruled that Lt Governor VK Saxena, who made the appointment, should not involve Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in administering the oath to Justice Kumar.
Justice Umesh Kumar’s appointment as the DERC chairman on June 21 was challenged by the Delhi government in the Supreme Court.
Due to a sudden “health issue” faced by Delhi Power Minister Atishi, who was directed by Lt Governor VK Saxena to administer the oath of office to Justice Kumar, the ceremony could not take place today. Consequently, the event has been rescheduled to July 6. However, the oath-taking ceremony will now be further delayed until July 11, which coincides with the date of the next court hearing.
The appointment of the DERC chairman has become the latest point of contention between the Delhi government and Lt Governor VK Saxena’s office, following the Centre’s ordinance on bureaucratic control.