Tamil Nadu has appointed senior IAS officer Radhakrishnan as the chairman of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) in Chennai.
The TNERC is responsible for key functions such as determining electricity tariffs in the state and overseeing the functioning of the power utility. The commission operates with quasi-judicial powers and is structured with a chairperson and two members.
The appointments come after vacancies arose in recent months. Two member posts fell vacant after retirements—one from March and another from June—while the previous chairperson Manivannan resigned at the end of June following a change in government in May.
To fill the three posts, the state government constituted a selection committee in July headed by retired judge Deka Raman, with the Chief Secretary and the Chairperson of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission as members. After receiving applications and holding a meeting at the Secretariat on September 15, the committee’s recommendations led to the appointment of Radhakrishnan as chairperson, Maskarnus as member, and Muthu Saradha as legal member.
All three have assumed charge at the commission’s office in Guindy, Chennai. Radhakrishnan is a former chairman of the state electricity board, Maskarnus has served as a former director of the power distribution corporation, and Muthu Saradha is a retired district judge. Radhakrishnan, who holds the rank of Additional Chief Secretary, was due to retire later this month, making the appointment notable.
