Govt to deploy police as per federal setup

Kathmandu, November 18

The government is doing groundwork to deploy Nepal Police as per the federal setup by mid-April.

The process of restructuring police organisation has been expedited as courts and offices of government attorney, which are two of the three integral parts of the criminal justice system, have already started operating as per the new system.

Article 268 of the Constitution of Nepal states that the federation shall have Nepal Police and each province shall have a state police organisation.

IGP Kuber Singh Rana-led task force, which has been formed to study organisational restructuring of Nepal Police, has also recommended establishing separate police organisations at the centre and provincial levels by mid-April.

“If civic polls are held by deploying police according to the existing unitary system, it may raise questions about the legality and authenticity of the elections. Therefore, police personnel should be deployed as per the federal structure before the elections,” said a senior police official.

The constitution has adopted a policy of making all security organs, including the Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force competent, strong, professional,inclusive and accountable to the people.

“Police personnel from constable to assistant sub-inspector should be deployed as per the federal setup before the local body elections likely to be held in April, while the division of posts from inspector to inspector general may be undertaken after the structures of provincial governments are finalised,” a home ministry official quoted an excerpt of a report prepared by the task force.

The government has also initiated the process of introducing a Bill concerning Nepal Police within one-and-a-half months to restructure the security agency as per the federal system.