Delhi Electricity Reform Act, 2000
No: 2 Dated: Mar, 08 2001
Delhi Electricity Reform Act, 2000
(Delhi Act No. 2 Of 2001)
An Act To provide for the constitution of an Electricity Regulatory Commission, restructuring of the electricity industry (rationalisation of generation, transmission, distribution and supply of electricity), increasing avenues for participation of private sector in the electricity industry and generally for taking measures conducive to the development and management of the electricity industry in an efficient, commercial, economic 2 and competitive manner in the National Capital Territory of Delhi and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
BE it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory Of Delhi in the Fifty first year of the Republic Of India as follows:-
PART I
Preliminary
1. Short title, extent and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the Delhi Electricity Reform Act, 2000.
(2) It extends to the whole of the National Capital Territory of Delhi excluding the areas of the New Delhi Municipal Council and the Delhi Cantonment Board.
(3) It shall be deemed to have come into force on 3rd day on November 2000.
2. Definitions. - (1) In this Act unless the context otherwise requires, -
(a) "area of transmission" means the area within which the holder of a transmission is for the time being, authorised by licence to transmit energy;
(b) " Central Act" means the Electricity Regulatory Commissions Act, 1998;
(c) "Commission" means the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission, refer section 3;
(d) "Government" means the Lieutenant Governor referred to in article 239AA, of the Constitution;
(e) "licence" means a licence granted under Part II or Part II A of the Indian Electricity Act, 1910 or Part VI of this Act;
(f) "licensee" or "licence holder" means a person licensed under Part II or Part II A of the Indian Electricity Act, 1910 or under Part VI of this Act to transmit or supply energy;
(g) "Lieutenant Governor" means the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of Delhi appointed by the President under article 239 read with article 239AA of the Constitution;
(h) "High Court" means High Court of Delhi;
(i) "member or members" means the member or members of the Commission and shall include the Chairperson of the Commission;
(j) "prescribed'' means prescribed by the rules or regulations made under this Act;
(k) "regulation" means a regulation made by the Commission under this Act;
(l) "rule'' means a rule made by the Government under this Act;
(m) "selection committee" means the selection committee referred to in section 4;
(n) "section" means a section of this Act;
(o) "transmit" in relation to electricity means the transportation or transmission of electricity by means of a system operated or controlled by a licensee which consists, wholly or mainly, of extra high voltage and extra high tension lines and electrical plant and is used for transforming and for conveying and/or transferring electricity from a generating station to a sub-station, from one generating station to another or from one sub-station to another or otherwise from one place to another.
(2) Words and expressions used but not defined in this Act and defined in the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948, have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Act;
(3) Words and expressions used but not defined either in this Act or in the Electricity (Supply) Act, 1948 and defined in the Indian Electricity Act, 1910, have the meanings respectively assigned to them in that Act.
PART II
Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission
3. Establishment and constitution of the Commission. - (1) There shall be an Electricity Regulatory Commission for the National Capital Territory of Delhi to be known as"the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission" (hereinafter referred to as "the Commission") to exercise the powers conferred on, and to perform the functions assigned to it under this Act.
(2) The Commission shall consist of one or more but not more than three members, including the Chairperson, to be appointed by the Government in the manner provided in Section 4, who shall be person or persons, as the case may be, of ability, integrity and standing with knowledge of, and having shown capacity in, dealing with problems relating to administration, engineering, finance, commerce economics, law or management.
Provided that one member shall always be with adequate experience in generation, transmission or distribution of electricity and, if there are more than one member, the members shall be persons having expertise in different disciplines.
(3) The Commission established and constituted with one member under section 17 of the Central Act shall be the first commission for the purposes of this Act and the member appointed shall be the chairperson of the Commission.
(4) At all times the most senior member of the Commission shall act as Chairperson, such seniority being reckoned from the date of the appointment of the members. In case two or more persons are selected at the same time, the seniority amongst them shall be determined by the Government while making the appointment.
(5) When the Chairperson of the Commission is unable to discharge the functions owing to absence, illness or any other cause, the next senior member of the Commission shall discharge the functions of the Chairperson, until the day on which the Chairperson assumes the charge of his functions.
(6) No act or proceedings of the Commission shall be invalid by reason only of the existence of any vacancy among its members or any defect in the constitution thereof.
(7) The Commission shall have an official seal for the authentication of documents required for the purposes of its functions.
(8) The Commission may by a general or special order in writing and subject to such conditions as may be specified in the order delegate to any officer of the Commission such of the administrative powers as the Commission considers appropriate to aid and assist the work of the Commission.
4. Constitution of the selection committee to select members. - (1) (a) The Government shall constitute a selection committee, as often as may be required to select persons for appointment as members. The selection committee shall consist of the following members: -
(i) A Judge of High Court or a former Judge of High Court - Chairperson
(ii) Chief Secretary of the Government - Member;
(iii) The Chairman of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission - Member
(b) The Secretary in charge of the Department of Power of the Government shall act as the convenor of the selection committee.
(2) The selection committee shall finalise the selection within a period of one month from the date on which the reference is made to it.
(3) The selection committee shall recommend a panel of two names for every vacancy referred to it.
(4) All decisions of the selection committee shall be by majority.
(5) The Government shall appoint the member from the two names recommended by the selection committee.
(6) The method and manner of selection and appointment of members and designation of one of the members as Chairperson shall be as prescribed by the Government from time to time by the rules.