NEW DELHI: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the country’s premier investigative agency, continues to be understaffed despite repeated raising of concern over the non-filling of vacancies. This apart, the number of pending cases have also shot up over the years.
Currently, the CBI has a working strength of 5,899 officials and personnel against the total sanctioned strength of 7,272 as on March 31, 2020.
This means that there are 1,374 posts lying vacant right from the executive to canteen-boy ranks amid an increase in the number of cases being designated to the agency.
As per an official statement, more than 1,256 cases, including 64 cases for the last five years, are pending for investigation with the CBI.
Data in possession of this newspaper reveals that 829 posts in the executive rank are vacant as against the sanctioned strength of 5,000. At present, 4,171 officials in this rank are working with the agency.
Similarly, 318 posts of ministerial staff are vacant after the highest number of 829 posts vacant in the executive rank.
According to the annual report of the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC-2020), the CBI has an actual strength of 1,353 ministerial staffs against the sanctioned strength of 1,671.
Besides, 96 posts of technical officers are also vacant with the actual strength of 66 against the sanctioned strength of 162.
In the law wing of the country’s prime investigating agency, 86 posts for the law officers out of a total sanctioned strength of 370 are lying vacant, while 45 vacancies exist for the canteen posts out of the sanctioned strength of 70.
Further, the CBI also had jurisdiction over certain cases relating to anti-corruption, economic offences, special crimes, directorate of prosecutions, administration, policy and coordination and the Central Forensic Science Laboratory divisions, with which it functions to ensure impartiality and integrity in investigations.