From purchase of mobile phones to laptops and computer equipment, the CBI Director now has freedom to buy it all. This was made possible as the Centre told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the decision to grant financial autonomy to CBI Director has been approved by the Government.
This would mean that the Director can sanction purchases that earlier required him to route the proposal through the lower division clerk in the Government department, who inadvertently would create hurdles in the path.
Announcing the decision during the hearing on the coal scam, Attorney General GE Vahanvati informed the bench headed by Justice RM lodha that the decision to grant financial autonomy has made even the CBI Director quite happy. He further informed that CBI Director will also get direct access to Minister with regard to his administrative functions.
The CBI had requested the court to grant it functional autonomy with regard to investigation, prosecution of cases, which raised several other issues such as functional autonomy. It had rued the fact that the agency had to seek Centre’s nod for any expense. This hampered the probe as officers failed to be equipped with smartphones and laptops despite investigating crucial cases such as 2G, coal scam, and Satyam scam.