HoR endorsesbill on management of police force

Kathmandu, Sept 12

The Bill on Operation, Supervision and Coordination of Nepal Police and Provincial Police endorsed by the House of Representatives yesterday empowered the ministry of internal affairs of a province to seek police reinforcement from other provinces.

“If the support of police from other provinces is required to maintain law and order in one province during a violent situation, the Ministry of Internal Affiars of the province may request the Ministry of Home Affairs to seek help from other provincial police,” said section 8 of the bill.

Upon approval from the MoHAs to seek help from other provinces, the MoIA may mobilise police troops from other provinces to contain a violent situation.

The bill required provincial police to submit its monthly performance report to the concerned MoIA and Nepal Police. Ministry of Home Affairs and the concerned MoIA shall supervise Nepal Police and provincial police, respectively.

The bill also stipulated a provision of a five-member Police Coordination Committee led by the minister of home affairs to coordinate between Nepal Police and provincial police.

The committee included ministers of internal affairs of all provinces, secretary and a joint secretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, and inspector general of Nepal Police as its members.

The commitee is mandated to resolve disputes regarding inter-police jurisdiction and coordinate with Nepal Police and provincial police for implementation of national security police, besides determining roles to be played by cops for maintaining law and order in the country.

“There shall also be one coordination unit each, in Nepal Police and provincial police office for information and intelligence sharing,” read section 13 of the bill.

Personnel of Nepal Police may be deployed to local bodies under provincial police if there is shortage of security personnel in provinces. The bill allowed transfer of police personnel working in one province to other provinces or in Nepal Police.

As per the bill, provincial police may recruit its personnel through open competition on recommendation of the Provincial Public Service Commission.

Nepal Police and provincial police were obliged to maintain law and order, control crime, carry out search operation, arrest suspects for investigation, collect intelligence related to public security, provide special security in vital installations, deploy forces during disasters, maintain national records on criminal activities and manage road traffic, in accordance with the law.

Provincial police was required to obtain approval of Nepal Police for procurement of arms, ammunition and other logistics. Nepal Police has been mandated to operate across the country in terms of maintaining law and order, whereas the provincial police is not authorised to intervene in security affairs of other provinces, the bill stated.