Indianmandarins has reliably learnt that the Enforcement Directorate is eagerly waiting to see its many top posts filled. Reportedly, the CVC was expected to schedule selection meetings in the first week of July for many top posts but it has not happened so far. Now it is expected that the CVC will have selection meetings this week for many top posts- one Special Director, two Additional Directors, eleven Joint Directors and several dozens of Dy Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors this week. It is learnt that about 25 applicants have been shortlisted for a Special Director post, nine for Additional Director post and about 40 are to be considered for Joint Director level posts. It may be noted that the Enforcement Directorate has been ailing for want of manpower for years. Currently, it is said to be functioning with a bare strength of approx 700 personnel of all ranks versus the sanctioned strength of 2,064. The Directorate is also acutely short of staff. Reportedly, there are 1386 vacancies in ED against sanctioned strength of 2064. This has been badly undermining its performance as one of the principal instruments of the government to carry out anti-money laundering operations. The staff deficit of 67.15 percent means that it is neither able to investigate thoroughly the cases referred to it, nor is it able to make legally foolproof the cases where investigations have been completed.