'Sad no one cares', says Supreme Court on DERC chief appointment

After hearing arguments from both sides, the Supreme Court said that would appoint the chairperson of DERC as an ad-hoc measure

The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday decided to appoint a person to head the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) for now to end the deadlock between the Delhi government and Delhi's Lieutenant Governor (LG), according to an NDTV report.

When the AAP-ruled Delhi government and Delhi LG told the apex court that they had failed to reach a consensus on the appointment of the chief of DERC), the bench said, "it is sad no one cares about the institution" and that it will appoint the chairperson as an ad-hoc measure on a pro-term basis.

The top court was hearing the connected issues of the Delhi ordinance on bureaucrats and the appointment of the chairman of DERC, which have been at the centre of the conflict between the AAP government and the LG.

Appearing for the LG, senior advocate Harish Salve stated the President had appointed a DERC chairperson, and the bench should either grant an injunction against the chairman or let him continue.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi government, responded that the appointment was made based on the ordinance, which has since been challenged. 

The bench then said the issue of the ordinance's validity would be referred to the Constitution bench, and the process would take one or two months.

The bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud also heard arguments on an ad-hoc appointment and the list that the regulator's chief should be picked from. CJI Chandrachud then said that the court would take its own call and would not see any list.

The court scheduled the matter to be heard next on August 4.

Rise above "political bickering": SC

On Monday, the top court had asked the LG and the Delhi government to rise above "political bickering". CJI Chandrachud had asked them to "sit together" and suggest a name.