Bagmati provincial government has slammed the ordinance about the police force brought by the federal government saying it curtails the rights given by the Constitution to provinces.
President Bidhya Devi Bhandari issued an ordinance on Nepal Police and Provincial Police (Work Operation, Supervision and Coordination) First Amendment on Monday on recommendation of the federal government allowing formation of the Federal Capital Police led by a Deputy Inspector General of Police to look after security of the three districts in the Kathmandu Valley.
The Metropolitan Police Office Ranipokhari, that currently oversees security in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts, falls under the jurisdiction of provincial police.
The CPN-led provincial government of Bagmati has slammed the federal government led by the same party and pointed that all 13 districts in the province come under its jurisdiction as the Constitution does not recognize Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts as a separate entity.
"Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts do not constitute a separate entity. It is the province's responsibility to look after law and order in those districts as per the Constitution. It is the provincial police's responsibility," Internal Affairs Minister of Bagmati Shalik Ram Jammakattel told Setopati. "The ordinance is against the Constitution and the province opposes it. The federal government through an ordinance cannot slash the clear rights of overseeing law and order inside the province vested by the Constitution."
He argued that the federal parliament should discuss about Constitution amendment and not issue an ordinance if the federal government wants to oversee law and order in the federal capital. "Bagmati province deems that the federal government has acted unconstitutionally."
He revealed that the province would move the Supreme Court (SC) against the ordinance once the process of police integration moves forward as the issue is related to the Constitution. The integration of the Nepal Police and the provincial police will start once the Cabinet approves the new organization and management procedure.
