Govt Nixes Ex-CBI Chief’s Plea For Longer Tenures

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NEW DELHI (TIP): Government hasrejected former CBI director APSingh’s suggestion that the tenure ofthe agency chief be increased to fiveyears or at least three years to allowhim enough time to fully implementhis vision for the CBI.The government has said that theSelect Committee of the Rajya Sabha,which looked into the Lokpal andLokayuktas Bill, has rejected theproposal and recommended that CBIdirector should continue to have afixed two-year tenure. It has said thematter is not under consideration anymore.Government said this in the RajyaSabha in reply to a question on thegovernment’s decision to considerCBI’s demand to increase the tenure ofCBI director to five years.

“Director, CBI has, while conveyingto the government the concerns ofCBI on the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill,2011 as passed by the Lok Sabha,recommended, inter alia, that directorCBI should ‘continue to hold office fora period of not less than five years,’ “said minister of state for personnel VNarayanasamy.He said according to informationfurnished by CBI, the agency hasexpressed its views on the issue beforevarious parliamentary committeesthat the tenure of the director shouldbe increased to five years.On the question of whethergovernment is increasing the tenureto three years at least, the ministersaid, “No. Section 4B of the DelhiSpecial Police Establishment Act, 1946provides that the director, CBI, shall,notwithstanding any thing to thecontrary contained in the rulerelating to his condition of service,continue to hold office for a period ofnot less than two years from the dateon which he assumes office.””The select committee of the RajyaSabha which considered the Lokpaland Lokayukta Bill, 2011, has alsogone into various aspects relating tostrengthening of CBI.

In its report onthe Bill, the select committee has,inter alia, recommended ‘director ofprosecution and director of CBI shallhave a fixed term of two years.” hesaid.Singh had not only made thedemand in his variousrepresentations to the government butalso publicly announced it in his exitinterviews to the media last month.He had said that once a director joinsthe agency the first year goes intounderstanding what’s happening andwhat needs to be done. By the time heprepares to put things in motion, histenure is over, he had said.

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