SHIMLA, November 11: The Himachal Pradesh government has appointed 2014-batch IAS officer Pankaj Rai as Chairperson of the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (HPERC), bringing an end to the prolonged controversy over the selection to the key statutory post.
The appointment notification was issued by the Department of MPP and Power on the evening of November 10, the deadline fixed by the Himachal Pradesh High Court. Rai will hold office for five years or until attaining the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. His tenure will begin from the date he assumes charge after being relieved from his present assignment as Deputy Director (Administration) at PGIMER, Chandigarh. Uni India +1
Rai's appointment follows a prolonged legal battle over the selection process, which had become a contentious issue between the state government and the statutory Selection Committee. As reported earlier by HimbuMail in its October-end coverage, the High Court had quashed the government's decision to scrap the selection process and directed it to complete the appointment by November 10, 2026.
The controversy originated in an advertisement issued on August 14, 2025, inviting applications for the HPERC Chairperson's post. Out of 16 applicants, 12 appeared for interviews on September 14, 2025. The Selection Committee, headed by retired High Court judge Justice V.K. Sharma, recommended a two-name panel comprising Pankaj Rai and Rajiv Sood.
The government rejected the recommendations on September 16, 2025, and subsequently cancelled the selection process. Rai challenged the decision before the High Court, questioning the government's authority to discard the recommendations of the statutory Selection Committee.
The Division Bench of Justice Vivek Singh Thakur and Justice Bhupesh Sharma ruled that the government's action was arbitrary, irrational and beyond its jurisdiction. It held that the government could not sit in appeal over the assessment of the Selection Committee, whose statutory responsibility was to evaluate the suitability of candidates.
The government had questioned Rai's comparatively junior IAS batch, his experience in the power sector and the exclusion of several senior officers, including former Chief Secretaries Ram Subhag Singh, Sanjay Gupta and Prabodh Saxena. The court, however, observed that the Electricity Act, 2003, did not reserve the position for retired Chief Secretaries or officers of a particular seniority.
Rai, who holds a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA in Finance, has held several important administrative assignments in Himachal Pradesh. His previous positions include Deputy Commissioner of Bilaspur and Lahaul-Spiti districts, Commissioner of the Shimla Municipal Corporation and Mission Director of the National Health Mission. He was subsequently posted as Deputy Director (Administration) at PGIMER, Chandigarh.
With the notification issued on November 10, the government has complied with the High Court's deadline and concluded a selection process that remained unresolved for over a year.
The appointment also brings into focus the statutory independence of the electricity regulator and the importance of adhering to the selection mechanism prescribed under the Electricity Act, 2003.
HimbuMail's earlier coverage: [Setback for Sukhu Govt: HP HC Restores Pankaj Rai, Rajiv Sood Panel for HPERC Chief Post](https://www.himbumail.com/bar-and-benches/setback-for-sukhu-govt-hp-hc-restores-pankaj-rai?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
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