The State Affairs Committee of the parliament has amended the bill about Nepal Police and provincial police proposing the rights for crime investigation to even provincial police. The federal government while registering the bill in the House of Representatives (HoR) had kept the rights of criminal investigation exclusively with Nepal Police.
The provincial police can now investigate criminal cases inside the province that the Nepal government proceeds.
This means provincial police can investigate cases of murder, rape, public offense, and violence against women among others. Nepal Police will now look into these cases only if the provincial police requests so. The original bill stated that Nepal Police will investigate criminal cases the Nepal government proceeds. The parliamentary committee has removed that provision.
The bill had tried to limit provincial police to the status of temporary police recruited to hold election.
The committee has also required uniformity in uniform of police force of all seven provinces and stated the uniform will be as determined by the federal government. The provincial government, however, can keep some sign or logo in the uniform of provincial police to reveal its identity. DIG will head the provincial police.
The committee has derailed the federal government's efforts to form weak provincial police forces and has clearly stated that the provincial police will have responsibility of maintaining law and order inside the province.
The provincial police has also been entrusted with processing of information and making appropriate security arrangements accordingly. It was allowed to only providing such information to Nepal Police, chief district officer (CDO) and internal affairs ministry of the province earlier.
The committee has also added a provision requiring the CDO, the federal government's representative in the district, to work under instruction of the provincial ministry while mobilizing provincial police.
It has also amended the earlier provision that stated the provincial government will coordinate and supervise provincial police, and replaced it with the term mobilize and supervise.
