The Meghalaya State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MSERC) has issued a Pre-Publication Notification for a new amendment to its existing business regulations. The document is titled “The Meghalaya State Electricity Regulatory Commission (Conduct of Business) (First Amendment) Regulations, 2007 (4 of 2025)” and was released on November 11, 2025. The Commission has made this move under the powers granted to it by the Electricity Act, 2003. Through this notice, the Commission is inviting comments and suggestions from the public within fifteen days from the date of the notice. After the feedback period ends, the amended regulations will be published in the Gazette of Meghalaya Extra Ordinary and will come into effect thereafter. The Commission has also stated that an earlier Pre-Publication Notification on the same matter, dated November 5, 2025, has been officially withdrawn.
The amendments mainly focus on updating the procedures the Commission follows while conducting its business. One of the key additions is a new definition for the term “Hearing.” The term has been defined as a meeting convened by the Commission to consider a petition or any other matter related to it. This addition aims to bring more clarity to the way hearings are organized and understood within the regulatory framework.
A major portion of the changes has been made under Regulation 10, which deals with the Proceedings of the Commission. The new rules state that the bench of the Commission should ideally comprise the full strength of its members. However, to ensure smooth functioning even when all members are not available, the quorum has been defined as two members. Further flexibility has been introduced by allowing proceedings to continue with a single member in cases where there are vacancies, unavailability, or when members have recused themselves from a particular case. Importantly, it has also been clarified that no act or proceeding of the Commission can be questioned or considered invalid merely due to a vacancy or a defect in the constitution of the Commission. This clause ensures the continuity and validity of Commission proceedings despite any temporary limitations.
Changes to Regulation 12 introduce new requirements for tariff petitions. Once a tariff petition is admitted, the petitioner will now be required to advertise a public notice in at least one English daily newspaper and two local language newspapers circulating in the concerned area. In addition, the petitioner must upload the complete petition on its website or any other authorized platform, where it should remain accessible until the matter is fully resolved. This step has been introduced to promote transparency and provide better access to information for the general public.
Regulation 15 has also been updated to allow electronic service as a valid method for serving notices or processes. This inclusion aligns with modern digital practices and aims to make communication more efficient and timely.
New additions under Regulation 26 highlight the inherent powers of the Commission. It ensures that the Commission retains the authority to make any orders necessary for delivering justice or to prevent the misuse of its procedures. It also grants the flexibility to adopt different methods for special cases and to handle issues not yet covered by specific regulations. Further, new rules from Regulation 27 to 30 grant the Commission the power to correct procedural defects, remove difficulties in implementing the regulations, relax certain provisions when justified, and extend or shorten timelines as required. The notification has been signed by E. Slong, Secretary of the Meghalaya State Electricity Regulatory Commission.
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