Justice M. Karpaga Vinayagam has been reappointed chairperson of the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity, Petroleum and Natural Gas on the recommendations of Chief Justice of India S.H. Kapadia.
Justice Karpaga Vinayagam, who assumed office on November 14, 2008, will have three more years in his second term. He is entitled to a monthly salary and such allowances and other benefits as are admissible to a Supreme Court judge.
Under his supervision, the tribunal has disposed of 1,278 appeals/petitions/ interlocutory applications pertaining to consumer interests. He ensured that in all States, the posts of ombudsmen and the grievance redress forums became functional. He also gave directions for formation of State Regulatory Commissions wherever they did not exist. Justice Karpaga Vinayagam has initiated steps for holding Circuit Bench sittings of the tribunal in Chennai, Kolkata and Mumbai for the southern, eastern and western regions. This is expected to provide relief to advocates and parties who have represented that it is difficult for them to go to Delhi every time.
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Justice Karpaga Vinayagam was a judge of the Madras High Court from 1996 to 2006. Then, he served as Chief Justice of the Jharkhand High Court till retirement in May 2008.