Assam Electricity Regulator Amends Rules For Appointing Electricity Ombudsman

The Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission issued a notification to introduce the first amendment to the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (Electricity Ombudsman) Regulations, 2022. This amendment will be known as the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (Electricity Ombudsman) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2025. The new rules will become effective from the date they are published in the Assam Gazette.

One of the main changes is related to Regulation 3, which deals with the appointment of the Electricity Ombudsman. The revised clause outlines who can be considered eligible for this position. Eligible candidates include a Secretary or an Additional Secretary of the State Government with at least one year of service, a Judicial Officer with at least 20 years of experience, someone who has served as Chairperson or Member of a statutory quasi-judicial body at the state level for a minimum of three years, or a retired Chief Engineer or equivalent officer with relevant experience in the power sector. It is also preferred that the Ombudsman should have working knowledge of the local languages spoken in Assam and be familiar with how the electricity distribution sector functions.

Another important amendment is made to Regulation 4 concerning the term of office. A new provision states that a person must be below 62 years of age at the time of their appointment as Ombudsman.

These amendments aim to ensure that the Electricity Ombudsman has both the necessary experience and understanding of the local context to handle consumer complaints effectively in the electricity sector. The official notification was signed and released by the Secretary of the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission.