GUWAHATI, July 1 � At a time when the State�s power scenario has nosedived to an abyss and the people are enduring an ordeal, frequent travels undertaken by the two members of the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission (AERC) have drawn flak from concerned circles.
The travels undertaken at quick intervals outside the State � including trips abroad � would also raise questions on the functioning of the AERC, which many feel is doing little more than endorsing the whimsical power tariff hike proposals of the ASEB and its successor companies rather than acting in the true spirit of its mandate.
With the AERC still awaiting the appointment of its chairperson (the incumbent having retired about a month back), the frequent and continuous absence of the two members has naturally hit the commission�s functioning.
Power Department sources said that the travels � ostensibly shown as official tour � had very little official about it, and it was highly questionable what practical purpose the tours were serving apart from the duo�s personal interests.
�Since the duo�s travels are being funded from the State�s exchequer, people have a legitimate right to ask whether the tax-payers� money is being utilized in the best public interest,� sources said.
