Mahara stays IGP's move to transfer SPs

KATHMANDU, May 8: Newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara has directed Nepal Police Headquarters to stall its decision to transfer senior police officers.



Police headquarters had decided to transfer 65 Superintendents of Police (SPs) just hours before Mahara assumed office on Wednesday.



Sources said police headquarters has already circulated directives to all Regional Police Headquarters to withhold the decision until a new decision is taken. [break]



Nepal Police chief Ramesh Chand Thakuri on Wednesday decided to transfer senior police officials although he knew that the cabinet would get full shape the same day.

There had not been any transfer of SPs for the past one and half years.



Police headquarters had been putting off transfers for the past five months despite pressure from various quarters as positions fell vacant after the promotion of 25 DSPs to SP. Police headquarters had instead chosen to send out a number of SPs on deputation.



Sources said Chand had decided to transfer the SPs after including a few names from the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, apparently to appease the prime minister´s aides.



As per revisions made two years ago in the Nepal Police Regulations, the police chief is authorized to transfer police officers up to the rank of SP. Then home minister Krishna Prasad Sitaula had given that authority to the police chief amid complaints that political interference in the transfer of senior police officers had prevented the deputing of “the right person in the right place”.



The police chief was authorized to transfer police personnel up to the level of inspector before the regulations were amended.



Senior police officials at police headquarters said that despite the revision the home ministry is still consulted before transferring police officers. “Though the decision taken by the police chief was not inappropriate, its timing has raised serious questions about intentions,” said a senior police official.



Another official said though a few officers were happy there was gross discontent among a majority of the transferred officers as the transfer decision was not made ´judiciously´.

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