New Delhi: Even as controversy rages over the Union government’s ordinances that allow the directors of two central probe agencies to remain in office for up to five years, the finance ministry has extended the tenure of Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Sanjay Kumar Mishra by a year.This confirms suspicions that the ordinance, issued on Sunday, was promulgated to extend Mishra’s tenure, which was to expire on Thursday. His term will now end on November 18, 2022 but the government has the option to extend it by another year.Mishra is a 1984-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the Income Tax Department cadre.The ordinances have been criticised as a move to “further subvert the independence” of the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).Also Read: With ED, CBI Ordinance, Centre Ups Its Game for ‘Fourth Gen Warfare’ Within Civil SocietyThe order issued by the Department of Revenue under the Union finance ministry said that the “President of India is pleased to extend the tenure of shri Sanjay Kumar Mishra, IRS (IT:84006) as Director of Enforcement for a period of one year beyond 18.11.2021, ie, upto 18.11.2022, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.”Mishra was first appointed the ED director for a period of two years by an order on November 19, 2018. Later, by an order on November 13, 2020, the appointment letter was modified retrospectively by the Union government and his term of two years was replaced by three years.This 2020 order was challenged before the Supreme Court which upheld the extension order but said that no further extension can be given to Mishra.However, the government last Sunday issued two ordinances that gave it powers to extend the tenure of the directors of the ED and the CBI up to three years after the mandated term of two years.Opposition parties have slammed the government for promulgating the ordinance just two weeks before a parliament session is scheduled to begin. Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP P. Chidambaram told The Wire that his party will oppose the ordinances in parliament and also challenged before the apex court.
