It has become imperative for the Government to resort to repromulgation of the ordinance since it could not get the Bill passed during Parliament's winter session. The ordinance will lapse on January 15.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Vittal says that after 138 days in office, he has come to the conclusion that announcements were considered to be action in this country. ``I am counting every day in office since I want this statutory authority to make a difference in this corruption-entrenched system'' he says, referring to the series of directives he has issued to investigating agencies including the CBI.

Vittalsays he has asked the Government to clear any amendment in the ordinance with him. ``Before any Government servant including officials in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) are taken out of the purview of the CVC, I must be consulted. It could happen out of oversight or administrative slip-up which must be ensured against.''

Vittal has sent a letter to this effect to Cabinet Secretary Prabhat Kumar two days ago.

Admitting to the formidable ``odds'' confronting the CVC, Vittal says: ``I am not really happy with my superintendence of the CBI. There are so many problems: with the courts, shortage of staff, time taken for investigations and the fact that sanction for prosecution of officials seems to be an endless process. I have tried to tell the CBI officials working under the CVC that there is now an insulating authority. That they can take tough decisions since I am there to protect them but it will take time for the message to percolate.''

Saying that he's ``toying with many ideas on how to get thingsmoving,'' Vittal says that one is setting up a time frame for a CBI investigation. He says that he has decided that if sanction for prosecution of officials, who are Presidential appointees, does not come within 60 days, it will be deemed to have been granted. In the case of non-gazetted officials, Vittal says he has set a time limit of 30 days.

On the sensitive issue of the appointment of the Director of the CBI and Enforcement Directorate, Vittal finds the Government delay ``inexplicable.'' ``As far as the CVC is concerned I have done my work it is now up to the Government to take a decision on the panel of names I have put up to them. Explaining the procedure he says that after the CVC takes a decision on the panel of names the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet can pick any official on the panel for the post.

Vittal says that the next item on his agenda after clearing appointments at all levels in the CBI to make up the 30 percent vacancies is to put out advertisements next month to hire retiredofficials to conduct inquires.