Electricity Act, 2003
20. Sale of utilities
of licensees.-
1.
Where
the Appropriate Commission revokes under section 19 the licence of any
licensee, the following provisions shall apply, namely:--
a. the Appropriate
Commission shall invite applications for acquiring the utility of the licensee
whose licence has been revoked and determine which of such applications should
be accepted, primarily on the basis of the highest and best price offered for
the utility;
b. the Appropriate
Commission may, by notice in writing, require the licensee to sell his utility
and thereupon the licensee shall sell his utility to the person (hereafter in
this section referred to as the "purchaser") whose application has
been accepted by that Commission;
c. all the rights,
duties, obligations and liabilities of the licensee, on and from the date of
revocation of licence or on and from the date, if earlier, on which the utility
of the licensee is sold to a purchaser, shall absolutely cease except for any
liabilities which have accrued prior to that date;
d. the Appropriate
Commission may make such interim arrangements in regard to the operation of the
utility as may be considered appropriate including the appointment of
Administrators;
e. the Administrator
appointed under clause (d) shall exercise such powers and discharge such
functions as the Appropriate Commission may direct.
1.
2.
Where
a utility is sold under sub-section (1), the purchaser shall pay to the
licensee the purchase price of the utility in such manner as may be agreed
upon.
3.
Where
the Appropriate Commission issues any notice under sub-section (1) requiring
the licensee to sell the utility, it may, by such notice, require the licensee
to deliver the utility, and thereupon the licensee shall deliver on a date
specified in the notice, the utility to the designated purchaser on payment of
the purchase price thereof.
4.
Where
the licensee has delivered the utility referred to in sub-section (3) to the
purchaser but its sale has not been completed by the date fixed in the notice
issued under that sub-section, the Appropriate Commission may, if it deems fit,
permit the intending purchaser to operate and maintain the utility system
pending the completion of the sale.