Bhubaneswar: With his extension as Odisha Chief Secretary ending in August, administrative circles are again abuzz with the possibility of Suresh Chandra Mahapatra being picked as the next chairperson of the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC).
Mahapatra, Arun Panda, a former secretary in the Ministry of MSME, and Manoj Parida, who belonged to AGMUT cadre of 1986 batch, have reportedly been shortlisted by the committee, comprising a judge of the Orissa High Court and a member of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), with Principal Secretary Energy Nikunja Dhal as the convener, sources said.
While normally a three-member selection committee, including the Chief Secretary, chooses the Chairperson of OERC, Mahapatra abstained since he was among the two dozen applicants, including four IAS officers, for the OERC chief’s position, which had fallen vacant since U N Behera’s term ended on January 15.
A 1986-batch IAS officer, Mahapatra has been a clear favourite for the coveted job in the electricity monitor with the experience of serving as Secretary, Energy, and Chairman of OPGC, OHPC, OTPCL and Gridco.
The six-month extension, however, put brakes on the appointment and the post had since been left vacant with Gajendra Mohapatra, a member of the State Judicial Service and former District and Session Judge, being appointed as the acting chairperson. The commission, industry insiders said, has precedence of running the show with interim chiefs for a few months.
Odisha Bytes in its earlier report had mentioned that the ruling dispensation is expected to go for a retired bureaucrat as the OERC boss, considering that the three-person commission currently has a Member (Judicial), Gajendra Mohapatra, and a Member (Technical), Sushant Raymohapatra. Gajendra Mohapatra, a member of the State Judicial Service and former District and Session Judge, is the currently serving as the acting chairperson of OERC.
Also Read: OERC Top Job: Suresh Mahapatra’s Extension As Odisha Chief Secretary Fuels Guessing Game
Industry insiders feel the OERC chief’s job could be of much interest to the powers that be in the government considering the recent takeover of all four distribution companies by Tata Power.
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