Delhi LG, CM fail to decide name for DERC head, SC says 'sad nobody cares'

The Supreme Court said on Thursday it will appoint a DERC chairperson for a brief period on an ad-hoc basis pending a decision on the Delhi government's plea contesting the lieutenant governor's power to make such an appointment, while expressing anguish that nobody cares about the "headless" institution and are "busy fighting".

Amid the deadlock between the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena over the appointment of Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) chairperson, the top court said it will do some homework and appoint someone on a "pro tem basis" to the post.

The strong observations came in the wake of submissions that though the LG and the chief minister met, as asked by the apex court, they failed to resolve the issue over the appointment of the chief of the power regulator.

"It is sad that nobody cares what happens to the institution. Individually, you keep fighting with each other...That institution is headless," a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra said.

"We will appoint somebody on an ad-hoc basis," the bench said, while observing that it will have to do little bit of homework, consult people and take their consent for this.