The Supreme Court has criticised the political leaders of Uttar Pradesh for excessively interfering in the transfers and postings of eight electricity corporations.

"No minister of the state of UP, nor any government Officer shall interfere with the transfers or postings of the officers in any of the eight government corporations," a Bench comprising Justice N Santosh Hegde, Justice B N Srikrishna and Justice P K Balasubramanyan said in a recent order.

"This interference in transfers and postings with political patronage has totally destroyed the autonomous nature of the electricity board, which has been identified as a serious malaise affecting the functioning of the board," it said.

The SC passed this order on a petition filed in this regard by one Suresh Chandra Sharma.

The eight corporations are the UP Power Corporation Ltd, Kanpur Electric Supply Company Ltd, Purvanchal Vitaran Nigam Ltd, Varanasi, Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Ltd, Lucknow, Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitaran Nigam Ltd, Meerut, Dakshinanchal Vidyut Nigam Ltd, Agra, UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Ltd, and UP Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd.

The SC appointed former chairman of the National Power Finance Corporation, S Venkatnarayan, as the head of a five-member independent committee to scrutinise and approve all proposals for transfer of officers and staff of these corporations.