Govt grants CBI greater financial autonomy

The Central Government on Wednesday relaxed its control over the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and granted the CBI director a rank equal to a Secretary.

The move is aimed at providing greater financial autonomy to the investigating agency, which had to seek permission from the government for each and every expense.

The Center has been repeatedly criticized by the opposition for misusing the CBI and influencing its work for political gains. The Supreme Court had also described the CBI as a caged bird and stressed on the need for giving it more powers.

Last year, the CBI had told the Supreme Court that its director should be given a minimum three-year term instead of two with a rank equal to a secretary and sought more financial autonomy while rejecting Centre's proposal for an accountability panel for it.

Contending that administrative and financial powers of the CBI Director are "limited", the agency in its 14-page affidavit said more is needed to be done than what has been proposed by the Centre to ensure autonomy and insulate it from extraneous influences.