Province 2 has started the process of keeping chief administrative officers (CAO) in the districts to do the tasks carried out by the chief district officers (CDO).
The provincial government on Sunday has decided to formulate a bill to keep CAOs in the eight districts in the province with power to maintain law and order as the CDOs are accountable only toward the federal government.
A meeting of the legislation committee chaired by Minister for Internal Affairs and Law Gyanendra Kumar Yadav has decided to register the bill in the provincial assembly next week in accordance with the provincial Cabinet's decision on Friday to keep a CAO in each of its eight districts.
"We have decided to register the bill in the House the next week after holding discussion on the draft prepared for keeping CAOs to maintain law and order," Minister Yadav told Setopati.
He clarified that the bill will be brought in a way that it does not contradict with the federal laws. "The bill will be in accordance to Schedule 6 of the constitution that clearly states that law and order will be the domain of provincial government," he stated. "We will work by appointing CAOs who are accountable to the provincial government."
He revealed that the CAOs will do all the works currently being done by the CDOs including imposing curfew, instructing security personnel to control riots and even open fire by informing the Internal Affairs Ministry of the provincial government.
He added that the government will withdraw the bill to keep CAOs if the federal government agrees to keep the CDOs under the provincial government.
Secretary at the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers Deepak Subedi also confirmed that the bill will not contradict federal laws. "The bill will automatically become void if it contravenes the federal laws," he stated.
He added that the CAOs will only oversee internal security in the districts. "Border security and crimes of serious nature will be under the purview of federal government."
