Click to play videoNew Delhi: One of the most contentious issues that has kept the Lokpal debate alive has been the inclusion of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). While many feel political influence over the CBI is a major problem, other experts believe it doesn't end at that and that the CBI has many other issues to grapple with.
Team Anna believes political control will never allow the CBI to fight big ticket corruption cases sincerely. The government differs, but those who are aware of the way the CBI functions say the problem is much beyond just political influence on the agency.
The CBI is under the administrative and financial control of the Department of Personnel and Training. But it is effectively controlled by the Ministry of Home Affairs too, since it is the cadre controlling authority for all the IPS officers. The law officers who fight cases for the CBI are under the Law Ministry.
Unlike the CAG, the CBI does not draw its finances from a consolidated fund, but from the DoPT's annual budget. However, the problem doesn't end here.
The total staff strength of the CBI all over India is 6581, out of which more than a thousand posts are vacant. The CBI's own cadre strength is minimal, making it dependent on states to send IPS officers on deputation.
The added problem is of the kind of cases and volume of cases that are referred to the CBI. In the past one year, everything from Jagan Reddy and Chandra Babu Naidu's assets to the NRHM scam to the Bhanwari Devi abduction case has been referred to the agency by courts wanting a thorough investigation.
Staff crunch means the CBI's central office has to rush in reinforcement to regional office for most of the cases. The quickest case that the CBI has solved so far is the Satyam fraud and that too, took seven months, while the LN Mishra murder case after 20 years is still on going.
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