New Delhi: Ajay Mathur, former director general of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), on Monday took over as director general of The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri), replacing R.K. Pachauri who faces charges of sexual harassment.

But Pachauri was named executive vice-chairman of Teri’s governing council and may continue to enjoy significant clout in the non-profit organization.

The post of executive vice-chairman was only recently created and 75-year-old Pachauri will be the first to hold it, said a senior Teri official who did not wished to be identified.

The young researcher, based on whose complaint, action was taken against Pachauri, expressed disappointment and said she felt let down by the move.

“I am not happy and feel let down by the governing authorities. The position assigned to him, that of an executive vice-chairman, has been especially created for him at Teri," she said.

The researcher had resigned from the organisation last year.

“The powers that he (Pachauri) would have under the newly designated role are not defined. Whether or not he will have a key role to play in the functioning of the organisation is unclear and yet to be seen," she added.

Meanwhile, the Teri official said, “The new appointment simply means that Pachauri will continue to have a significant say. It is being said that he will only look after the setting up of Teri’s new campuses and other small things not connected with day-to-day functioning of Teri but it remains to be seen what his role will be. He will certainly be influential."

Though there was no official communication from Teri, Mathur confirmed to Mint that he had joined as Teri’s director general from Monday.

Mathur led BEE, an institution under the Union power ministry, for several years and he represented India at the recent Paris climate change conference as one of its key negotiators.

He was appointed as Teri’s director general by the governing council in July last year after the complainant accused (in February 2015) Pachauri of sexually harassing her. Following her complaint, Pachauri had to go on leave but he returned to Teri in July last year.

With inputs from Apurva Vishwanath.

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