Kathmandu, December 19:

Home Minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula today said the government would re-establish all displaced police stations by January 15. The police stations were displaced in course of the 10-year-long Maoist insurgency.

“All displaced police stations will be re-established after reaching a consensus with the Maoists,” Sitaula said.

“The government is working to improve law and order situation for holding the constituent assembly elections,” Sitaula told the State Affairs Committee (SAC) of the House of Representatives.

Taking part in the meeting, MPs Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, Hom Nath Dahal, Parshuram Meghi Gurung and Shiv Raj Joshi questioned the legality of the decision to form the Metropolitan Police.

The formation of the Metropolitan Police without introducing a legislation governing it is against the rule of law, the parliamentarians said, accusing the government of providing legal authority to the Metropolitan Police.

They urged the government to promulgate a law governing the Metropolitan Police.

“The government will promulgate a law governing the Metropolitan Police,” Sitaula said.

The Home Minister said the police organisation had been in disarry for four years, as the army command the security and the erstwhile government provided all facilities to the army alone.

“Police personnel were humiliated by the army,” he said, adding, “There is an urgent need to boost the morale of the police personnel.”

Sitaula expressed confidence that the Metropolitan Police will make the valley secure. He said the government is planning to appoint a cop for every 235 people.

“The government has not provided legal authority to the Metropolitan Police,” he said, adding that the government had decided to revamp the police organisation as the existing police organisation could not cope with challenges it faced.