Lack of housing dissuades officers from joining CBI: Panel

Lack of adequate housing is discouraging officers from states to join the CBI which is facing staff crunch, a parliamentary panel has noted.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, and Law and Justice has expressed its "deep concern" on the state of affairs relating to vacancy position in the CBI.
"The Committee is apprehensive that unless the substantial improvement in vacancy position is achieved immediately, its adverse impact on performance of agency would become visible sooner than later," it observed.
The agency has a total number of 1156 cases pending under investigation as per data of December 31, 2016 with 664 cases related to corruption.

It is facing a shortage of 21.84 per cent with only 5,685 employees as against the sanctioned strength of 7,274, the data given on the web site of the agency as on March 1, 2017 shows.
The maximum vacancy of over 56 per cent is in the category of technical officers with only 70 officers posted as compared to sanctioned strength of 162, it shows.

It recommended that Government should make deputation in the CBI more attractive so that officers from state police forces, central forces and Intelligence Bureau are "tempted" to join the organisation.
"The CBI in its submission before the Committee stated that one of the major reasons why investigators do not come on deputation to the CBI is the lack of available housing. The overall housing satisfaction is very low at pan India level and especially in Delhi where the Head Quarter is situation," it said.

The agency in its deposition told the Committee that it is grappling with low level of housing satisfaction in the organisation.
"The CBI housing satisfaction at Delhi is 15 per cent, Mumbai 26 per cent, Kolkata 15 per cent and overall satisfaction level of about 24 per cent whereas, as per Ministry of Urban Development norms, the satisfaction should be 70 per cent in Delhi and 60 per cent elsewhere," it noted.
The Committee pointed out that the CBI does not have any residential quarters at nine locations in the country and even after proposed construction of houses, the satisfaction level would remain at 33.18 per cent only.

"The nation is facing problems on many fronts like internal security, transnational terrorism, cyber-crimes, corruption and many others and we cannot afford to have such a premier agency understaffed and struggling with resource crunch. The Committee expresses its dismay over the existing state of affairs in the CBI," it said.
The Committee also pulled up the agency for failing to utilise funds earmarked for housing for its personnel.