Chandigarh, June 4 -- Former Himachal Pradesh chief secretary Sanjay Gupta, a 1988-batch IAS officer who retired on May 31, on Wednesday assumed charge as the chairperson of the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC).

Gupta's name was finalised by a three-member panel headed by Punjab chief secretary KAP Sinha. Power minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond administered the oath of office. He succeeds former Punjab bureaucrat Vishwajit Khanna, who retired on April 22.

The appointment is for a term of five years or until the appointee attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.

PSERC is the statutory body regulating Punjab's power sector. It determines electricity tariffs, oversees power distribution and transmission, appro...