--- title: "Parliament panel urges task force to fill 38 DIPAM vacancies" url: https://projectchintan.com/article/parliament-panel-task-force-dipam-vacancies-pd5rk publisher: Project Chintan author: Project Chintan Newsroom section: Politics published: 2026-08-16T06:30:35.623Z modified: 2026-08-16T08:30:07.581Z language: en-IN --- # Parliament panel urges task force to fill 38 DIPAM vacancies India’s Standing Committee on Finance calls for a dedicated inter-departmental task force to fill 38 vacant DIPAM posts, citing a 43% vacancy rate and impact on managing a vast public asset portfolio. The move follows a March report highlighting long-standing staffing gaps and limited progress on di ## Key takeaways - Parliamentary panel calls for a dedicated inter-departmental task force to fill 38 vacant DIPAM posts. - DIPAM faces a 43% vacancy rate and oversees an asset portfolio valued at over ₹42.76 lakh crore. ## What Happened The Standing Committee on Finance in India has recommended creating an inter-departmental task force to fill all 38 vacant positions in the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM). The panel described DIPAM's vacancy level as 43% and warned that without rapid filling of posts, the department’s ability to manage a large public asset portfolio could be compromised. The committee noted that DIPAM oversees an asset portfolio valued at over ₹42.76 lakh crore and has had limited tangible progress on vacancies since a report it presented in March. In its action-taken reply, the finance ministry said DIPAM is engaging with the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Department of Expenditure, and the Department of Economic Affairs to fill posts including Assistant Section Officer, Section Officer, Under Secretary, and Assistant Director. The committee urged prioritising this through a dedicated inter-departmental task force with DoPT and DoE to ensure earlier filling of all 38 vacancies. The March report by the committee had highlighted that the department, responsible for value-maximisation, had a sanctioned strength of 89 but functioned with only 51 officers, with significant shortfalls at the Director and Under Secretary levels. It warned that these gaps could impede complex transactions like the IDBI Bank sale or finalisation of certain capital market engagements with public sector enterprises. The panel also discussed governance considerations around InvITs and REITs, and the need for a robust legal framework to safeguard strategic government interests in CPSEs when public equity dilution below 51% occurs in the future. ## Why It Matters The committee’s stance links staffing adequacy to the government’s broader aims of disinvestment, asset recycling, and strategic control over public sector assets. A persistent vacancy rate of 43% in DIPAM raises questions about the depth of expertise available to oversee complex financial transactions, valuation frameworks, and governance standards for CPSEs and real estate assets. The recommended task force signals an expectation of expedited personnel changes to support ongoing and future value-maximisation initiatives and maintain oversight and national security considerations in critical assets. ## Background DIPAM is responsible for managing the government's investment and public asset portfolio, with a value cited by the committee at over ₹42.76 lakh crore. In its March report, the committee pointed to a shortfall between the department’s sanctioned strength (89) and actual staffing (51), with notable vacancies at senior levels. It stressed that the department’s effectively executing disinvestment targets and monetising prime assets depends on addressing manpower gaps and governance practices, including potential mechanisms like InvITs and REITs and legal strategies to retain strategic autonomy in CPSEs. ## Key Facts - DIPAM vacancies: 38 positions currently vacant, equating to a 43% vacancy rate. - Public asset portfolio overseen by DIPAM: valued at over ₹42.76 lakh crore. - Sanctioned vs. actual DIPAM staffing (as highlighted): 89 sanctioned vs. 51 officers functioning. - Senior vacancies cited: Directors and Under Secretaries among the critical gaps. - Action taken: Finance ministry says DIPAM is engaging with DoPT, DoE, and Department of Economic Affairs to fill vacancies; a dedicated inter-departmental task force is proposed to accelerate filling. - Earlier committee report: Tabled in March, noting limited progress on vacancies and impact on disinvestment and asset monetisation plans. - Governance and asset strategy concerns: Calls for a calibrated roadmap for CPSE REITs/InvITs and a robust legal framework to protect strategic interests when stake dilution could occur. ## What Happens Next The committee’s recommendation envisions establishing an inter-departmental task force with DoPT and DoE to prioritise filling all 38 vacancies. The outcome depends on alignment between DIPAM, the related ministries, and Parliament, and on whether the government implements a formal roadmap for governance and asset monetisation as discussed in prior reports. --- Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/parliament-panel-task-force-dipam-vacancies-pd5rk Reported from: Multiple Sources