Bills to extend terms of CBI, ED chiefs taken up in Lok Sabha

The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and The Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021 were taken up by the Lok Sabha for discussion. Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh said the Bill should be looked at as one that will strengthen these investigation agencies.

"It is just an enabling provision, particularly when the FATF (Financial Action Task Force) has also suggested to different nations to improve their law enforcement authorities," Singh said.

"Keeping in mind that many investigating agencies abroad have the term of the head lasting over several years. FBI has a term of ten years, most countries have a tenure of five years or flexible term," Singh said.

"Let us look at it as an enabling provision in the interest of checking crime, and checking international ramification. The misgiving is that the Bill will extend the term of heads (of CBI and ED). This is actually going to ensure the term is going to be limited to five years," he said.

Opposition MPs however raised concerns over the bill, and said it would compromise the freedom of CBI and ED.

"It is a very serious matter of concern regarding the independence of the enforcement directorate as well as CBI... I would like to know from the Minister, what is the urgency, extraordinary circumstances providing to formulate this ordinance?" Revolutionary Socialist Party MP NK Premchandran said.

Congress MP Manish Tewari called the Bills "arbitrary, capricious, and a colourable exercise of power."

"This government has made every attempt to dismantle checks and balances which are intrinsic to our constitutional scheme. The Bills today are another milestone in that direction," he said.

Saugata Roy of the Trinamool Congress meanwhile said, "I have never seen such a malafide legislation... It's dangling carrots in front of donkeys who head CBI and ED."

Asaduddin Owaisi of AIMIM accused the government of creating a system which encourages patronage.

"You are creating a system which encourages patronage. In 2013 then chief minister Narendra Modi had called CBI Congress Bureau of Investigation, can the government say what reforms they have brought, instead you have brought an ordinance to increase CBI, ED dependence on government," Owaisi said.

He added that the government was creating a "double edged sword" which would hurt the BJP when they came in the Opposition.

BJP MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore defended the Bill and said, "do we want to fight white collar crime or do we not want to fight white collar crimes?

The Bills replace two ordinances brought by the union government ahead of shortly before the Winter Session.

The Bills will enable the central government to extend the tenures of the directors of the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate one year at a time for up to five years from the initial date of appointment.