THE GOVERNMENT is forever so busy firefighting that most would think it has little time for anything else.
Wrong. Even as a civil war rages in the establishment, the government is doing some serious headhunting.
There are vacancies in the Central Vigilance Commission, the anti- corruption watchdog, but the government seems in no hurry to fill these — something that runs against PM Manmohan Singh's policy of transparency in government.
The three- member CVC has been reduced to single member since last November, when commissioners Ranjana Kumar and Sudhir Kumar retired.
Chief commissioner Pratyush Sinha is due to retire in September. Vigilance commissioners are appointed by a panel consisting of the prime minister, the Opposition leader and the home minister.
In the Vineet Narain case of 1993, the Supreme Court had directed that the responsibility for efficient and nonpartisan functioning of the CBI be transferred from the government to the CVC, which reviews all cases under the CBI that involve public servants.
Herein lies the catch. In the absence of a full- fledged CVC, its work is suffering — files involving corruption and action against many senior officers are kept on hold.
The standoff has resulted in some multi- crore defence deals, which are normally vetted by the CVC, being put in cold storage. Strangely, while the Election and Information Commissioners have fixed tenures of five years, the VCs is just four.
The government now plans to amend the CVC Act to increase the commissioner's tenure to five or 65 years of age, whichever is earlier.
Sinha will turn 65 only next July. The Opposition has a chance to drive a hard bargain and it is to be seen if the government will yield.
If it does, Sinha will stay on for another year.
