Almost half of CCI's posts vacant in 2012-13

It had 97 of 197 sanctioned posts vacant in 2012-13

The Competition Commission, the regulatory body that checks anti-competitive business practices, continued to have a manpower crunch last year, with almost half its posts lying vacant.

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) had 97 of 197 sanctioned posts vacant in 2012-13, according to its annual report. In 2011-12, there were 96 unfilled positions compared with 100 in 2010-11.

As many as 21 experts were engaged during 2012-13 -- 17 with the Commission and four in the Director General's office.

At the office of the Director General, the CCI's investigative arm, 24 posts were vacant in the previous financial year.

The CCI was short of 50 people among its professional staff, while 23 support staff posts were vacant.

The most vacancies, 15, were for deputy directors in the economic division. The number of posts sanctioned for this designation was 18.

The CCI hired 34 professional and support staffers in three rounds of direct recruitment.

In the fourth round of direct recruitment, applications were called in January for 20 posts of professional staff and 11 posts of support staff, the CCI said in the report. A total of 471 candidates appeared for the written examination, it added.

Besides, the regulator filled eight posts at its office and five in the DG's office on deputation basis.

The Commission consists of one chairperson and six members, who are supported by officers and staff. Recently, the CCI had sought applications for posts of three members.

Members S N Dhingra of the legal division and Geeta Gouri of the economic division will retire early next year. Member H C Gupta, who was Coal Secretary between 2006 and 2009, had stepped down in June following the controversy over the coal allocation scam.