Following High Court Reprimand, Government Notifies RERA Appointments – R.D. Dhiman Named Chairperson, Amit Kashyap Member

Shimla, June 24:
Under pressure from the Himachal Pradesh High Court, the state government has finally issued the official notification appointing key officials to the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA). The move comes after the court imposed a ₹5 lakh fine and criticized the delay in constituting the body.

As per the notification issued on Tuesday, retired Chief Secretary R.D. Dhiman has been appointed as the Chairperson of RERA, while former IAS officer Amit Kashyap has been named as a Member. Another member, Vidhur Mehta, had already been appointed earlier. With this, Principal Secretary (Housing) Devesh Kumar, who had been holding additional charge as RERA Chairperson, has been relieved of the responsibility.

The appointments have been made on the recommendation of the selection committee constituted under Section 20 of the RERA Act, 2016. Both the Chairperson and Member will serve a tenure of five years or until the age of 65, whichever is earlier. Details regarding their salary and service conditions will be notified separately.

R.D. Dhiman has held several key positions in the state government and was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner following his retirement. Amit Kashyap, too, has had a long administrative career, serving as Deputy Commissioner in several districts.

The High Court had taken strong exception to the prolonged delay in these appointments, directing the state government to issue the notification by June 25. The court expressed displeasure over the government’s inaction despite the selection committee’s recommendations being ready, prompting the imposition of a monetary penalty.

In a sworn affidavit submitted to the court, the government had stated that the process was in its final stages and the appointments would be made shortly. With the issuance of this notification, the government has now complied with the court’s directive and moved one step closer to operationalizing the RERA framework in the state.