When corruption seethes across the whole of India, the solution does not lie in ineffectual posturing by political parties. It is only an autonomous supervisory authority like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which can put a brake on it. Curiously enough, its wings had been progressively clipped. Mercifully, the Supreme Court lost no time in setting aside the Gauhati High Court verdict stripping the CBI of all power. It is welcome that the Centre has now relaxed its control over the CBI to some extent. Measures have been taken to grant the rank of Secretary to the investigating agency chief. It seems a step towards restoration of its functional autonomy. It will loosen the CBI director’s bureaucratic constraints especially in administrative matters including transfers and postings of subordinate colleagues. Public faith in the country’s top anti-corruption agency could be restored by and by.
It is reported that the CBI had to sit on the purchase of a laptop for 100 days thanks to the lackadaisical attitude of the government. Now the CBI chief’s financial powers have been augmented. The agency can spend up to Rs. 15 crore on its own. Over the years, its powers have been curtailed exposing it to manipulation by the ruling party of the day. Even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was inclined to put the agency in its place. The CBI should have full functional freedom from the Centre to investigate cases without meddling by high political quarters. At the same time it should not be exempt from accountability. Its officers should be honest and imbued with professional ethics to solve cases without let or hindrance.
