CHENNAI: While the State government is intent on hiking electricity tariff, will it be able to do so within the shortest possible time? That is a big question, since the head of the regulatory authority that takes the final call is due to retire within five weeks. And a selection panel to identify his successor is yet to be constituted.S Kabilan, chairman of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) is due to retire on January 2 next year. According to sources, the process of firming up the new power tariff by the TNERC could take four months at the very least given the procedural requirements stipulated in the Electricity Act, 2003.Last year, to determine the tariff, the TNERC took a little over six months. The erstwhile TNEB filed the tariff revision petition on January 18, 2010. After wide ranging consultations with stakeholders, including industries, trade bodies and consumers, the TNERC notified the new tariff on July 31 and it came into force on August 1, 2010.The regulatory body, as per the rules, held public hearings in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchy as well.The present tariff petition of TANGEDCO was filed on November 17 and it is likely to be admitted before November 26 after scrutiny, sources say.To complete the lengthy process within the shortest possible span, the chairman, who is the final deciding authority as per the 2003 Act, is indispensable.But past experiences indicate that the process of selecting a suitable candidate itself may prove to be difficult.In 2002, the State government did not accept the names suggested by the selection committee headed by Justice A M Ali Mohammad and constituted a new panel headed by Justice A Raman for selecting the chairperson and a second member to the TNERC.Based on the new committee’s recommendations, the State government appointed A Balraj as chief of the TNERC on June 12, 2002. The whole process consumed four to five months. Balraj completed his term on July 6, 2006 and Kabilan took over only on January 3, 2007 - after almost six months.Given this background, it is evident that the process of appointment may consume considerable time. Besides, the selection committee should be headed by a person who is or has been a judge of the high court. When asked, Electricity Minister Natham R Viswanathan said the work of appointing the selection panel is under way.
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