Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had yesterday constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to draft a bill for ensuring independent functioning of CBI within three weeks time.
The government's move came after the Supreme Court had rapped CBI for being a "caged parrot" of its political masters while hearing a case related to alleged irregularities in coal blocks allocation.
In one of its recent reports, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice has termed as "archaic" the existing 66-year-old legislation governing CBI and suggested enactment of a separate law or amendment in the present Act for the investigating agency to give it more statutory backing.
"The Committee reiterates its recommendation made in its 56th report that in the event of enacting a fresh statute for CBI is not found feasible, requisite amendments may be made in the DSPE Act," it has said.
The Committee had, in its 56th report before the House in March this year, recommended a legislation on the lines of the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 so that CBI can probe corruption cases throughout the country without the states' consent.
However, the government had, in its action taken report on the panel's recommendation, said no proposal was being considered for the purpose as there is already a separate legislation for CBI-- DSPE Act, 1947 as amended by CVC Act, 2003.