New Delhi: The tenure of the directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) may now extend to a maximum of five years from the current two years. The government on Sunday issued two ordinances in this regard.
According to the ordinances, in both the cases, directors can be given an extension of one year each for three years after approval by the committees constituted for their appointments. On this move, the opposition parties targeted the central government and asked why it cannot wait till the Parliament session.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had said that extension of tenure of officers who have attained the age of retirement should be granted only in rare and exceptional cases and for a shorter period. The top court had said this in a matter related to the extension given to Enforcement Directorate chief SK Mishra in 2020.
Mishra, a 1984 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, is set to retire on November 17. However, with the promulgation of the ordinance, it remains to be seen whether Mishra will continue as the ED chief, officials said.