Chandigarh, May 22 -- Himachal Pradesh chief secretary Sanjay Gupta, a 1988-batch IAS officer due to retire on May 31, is among several senior bureaucrats and engineers in the race for the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) chairman's post, which recently fell vacant. Former Punjab bureaucrats A Venu Prasad, Anurag Aggarwal and special chief secretary Saravjit Singh are also among the contenders. PSERC member RS Saini, who has been holding additional charge after the retirement of chairman Vishawjit Khanna on April 22, is also in the fray, according to people familiar with the development. 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. A three-member panel headed by Punjab chief secretary KAP Sinha has been tasked with selecting the new chairman. A senior Punjab government functionary said the appointment is made for five years or until appointee attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. "There are several bureaucrats and engineers in the fray," the official said. Under the Electricity Act, 2003, "the applicant for the post of chairperson of the state electricity regulatory commission should be a person of ability, integrity and standing, having adequate knowledge of and capacity in dealing with problems relating to engineering, finance, commerce, economics, law or management". Among the contenders, Prasad has vast experience in the power sector, having previously served as chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL). He also served as the secretary power and later as additional chief secretary to chief minister Bhagwant Mann. Aggarwal has served as secretary of the erstwhile Punjab State Electricity Board(and later as Punjab secretary (power) before retiring from the central government recently. Saravjit Singh, an engineer, has worked in the irrigation sector, which also deals with power entities like the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). Chief secretary Sinha said there has been a delay in the selection process, and fresh dates will be announced soon. "The interviews scheduled for May 19 had been postponed. A new date for the screening-cum-selection process would be fixed soon," he added....