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, approves power purchase agreements, and ensures compliance with the Electricity Act, 2003. The commission also adjudicates disputes involving utilities and consumers. It also monitors the functioning of power companies operating in the state. Gupta pipped several senior Punjab bureaucrats and engineers to secure the top post at the power regulator. Former Punjab bureaucrats A Venu Prasad, Anurag Aggarwal and special chief secretary Saravjit Singh were in the fray. PSERC member RS Saini, who has been holding additional charge since Khanna's retirement, was also among the candidates considered for the post. Repeated attempts to contact the Punjab chief secretary and power minister for comment were unsuccessful. Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had faced criticism from opposition parties over the appointment of Delhi-based party spokesperson Reena Gupta as chairperson of the Punjab Pollution Control Board and Deepak Chauhan as chairman of the Punjab Large Industrial Development Board. Defending Gupta's appointment as PSERC chairperson, AAP Punjab general secretary Baltej Pannu dismissed the Opposition's criticism as "politically motivated." "The Opposition leaders are frustrated because it has no substantive issue to raise against the Bhagwant Mann government. It is trying to create controversy over every administrative appointment. Such politically motivated statements only reflect their desperation and inability to digest the Punjab government's pro-people achievements," he said....