New Delhi: Country's premier Intelligence Bureau (IB), entrusted with internal security related matters, is facing shortage of over 8,000 personnel due to unavailability of suitable candidates among others, as per the Government.

"As against the sanctioned strength of 26,867 personnel in IB, at present 18,795 personnel are available with a total of 8,072 vacancies (30 percent)," Minister of State for Home Affairs R P N Singh told Lok Sabha in a written reply.

The vacancies have accumulated in the bureau as a result of the implementation of the organization scheme of the government (2001-2006), which imposed a ban on direct recruitments in all the ministries or departments. The scheme was further extended up to 2009, he said.

However, the government gave exemption for operational posts in IB during 2006-07. At the same time, over 6000 new posts were also sanctioned by the government during 2008-12 under various schemes to strengthen intelligence apparatus.

"This has resulted in the accumulation of vacancies despite the concerted efforts to fill up direct recruitment quota posts," Singh said.

About 1,500 posts of deputation quota could not be filled up "due to unavailability of suitable officers", the minister said.

"The Bureau is conducting the direct recruitment for various posts on a regular basis since 2008. However, induction has been staggered in view of the available training capacity and cadre management consideration.

"Further, actual induction figures are much less than the selected candidates as large number of selected candidates do not turn up for joining the Bureau," he said.

Singh said availability of inadequate number of qualified candidates through the Staff Selection Commission in the ministerial cadre has also resulted in 600 vacancies.

The government has also detected five instances of impersonation last year in which FIRs were lodged in concerned police stations.

"The recruitment process in the Bureau is open and transparent and Bureau has taken various measures to ensure fairness in the selection process," he said.

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