One of the reasons they have reduced the number if ITAs is potentially due to the HUGE backlog of applications awaiting to be assessed. Most applicants from last May/June are still waiting to hear back from CIC with a decision on their applications. They are well over their 6 month time frame. Many CIC call center officers have also confirmed about the huge backlog. So my assumption is that until they clear up some of the applications still awaiting evaluations, the ITAs are going to stay low.
But I also do think they will increase the ITAs in the coming months. They are just bidding a bit of time/ giving them a bit of breather to catch up with the existing applications.
So, keep yourselves positive, your time will come