Kathmandu, November 16

Inspector General of Police Upendra Kant Aryal has stressed the urgent need to empower the Metropolitan Police Office with quasi-judicial authority as per the concept of ‘metro police’ practised in the world.

Addressing a special function organised to mark the 11th establishment day of the MPO today, he said, “There should be no further delay in conferring powers to the MPC in line with the concept of metro police at a time while rapid and unplanned urbanisation has been adding to security challenges in Kathmandu Valley.”

Kathmandu Valley Police Office was renamed MPO to develop with a view to exercising administrative and magisterial powers, but the authorities and powers provided to the office has remained unchanged.

IGP Aryal expressed worry that limited statutory powers had rendered MPO ‘toothless’.

“The metro police should be made technologically capable of dealing with the ever changing modus operandi of criminals,” he said.

“Despite gradual increase in the numerical strength of the police, no progress has been made towards introducing necessary laws to give it a free hand to combat crime,” said former IGP Kuber Singh Rana.