Miffed at the federal government’s executive order on police mobilisation, internal affairs ministers of the seven provinces have said they will come up with a common position on security arrangements shortly.

Eight months in office, the federal government has failed to pass laws necessary for delegating authority to the provinces for security management as required by the constitution. Last month, the Cabinet issued an executive order, allowing the provinces to deploy police personnel up to the sub-inspector rank as a temporary measure.

“It’s too little, too late and has no significance,” said Gyanendra Yadav, the internal affairs minister for Province 2. Yadav added that all the internal affairs ministers would reject the executive order as they meet after the Chhath this week to devise a common strategy.

Objecting to the centre’s order, Yadav, in correspondence with the Prime Minister’s Office in Kathmandu, has urged the federal government to allow the provincial government to deploy chief district officers and police up to the superintendent level.

“All the internal affairs ministers will now discuss ways to implement the provincial police Act,” said Shalikram Jammarkattel, internal affairs and law minister for Province 3. “The executive order has nothing to do with our security arrangements.”

Jammarkattel, an influential trade union leader of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), said all the provinces except for Province 3 have cabinet decisions to draft the respective Provincial Police Act. “We will now expedite the process and implement the Act at the earliest,” he said.

Earlier, the provinces had urged the federal government to let them mobilise at least the superintendent of police and chief district officers until the necessary laws are in place for them to make full-fledged security arrangements.

At the moment, a deputy inspector general commands the police force to maintain law and order in the provinces in coordination with the CDOs.

“I wish not to comment on the federal government’s attitude,” said Gandaki Province Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, whose move to organise a chief ministers’ conclave in Pokhara in September irked Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who responded by postponing the first inter-state council meeting.

On the eve of the scheduled meeting, six chief ministers had gathered in Pokhara for a two-day conclave to prepare a common position on the issues facing them. The meeting was expected to resolve the conflict between Kathmandu and the provincial governments.

A Cabinet meeting last month issued the order entitled “Executive Order to maintain peace and security and Provincial Police Administration-2018,” as provisioned by Schedule 6 of the constitution.

Province 2 endorsed the Provincial Police Act on October 11 while all other provinces except Province 3 are ready to pass their laws. Janakpur has put the process on hold after Kathmandu promised to issue corresponding laws within weeks.