Law Minister Proposes National Investigation Department Remain Under Prime Minister's Office

Kathmandu. Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sobita Gautam has stated that it would be appropriate for the National Investigation Department to remain under the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers. She expressed this view while speaking in the discussion on the 'Bill to Revive the Existing Provisions of the National Special Service Act, 2042 BS, 2083 BS' in the meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives. Minister Gautam argued that based on the department's scope and importance, it should be kept under the Prime Minister's Office rather than the Ministry of Home Affairs. She clarified that while the Ministry of Home Affairs handles daily peace and security, crime investigation, and internal security aspects through the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force, 'intelligence' is a higher and more specialized subject. Explaining the background of the bill, she recalled that this department, which was under the Ministry of Home Affairs since 2042 BS, was brought under the Prime Minister's Office in 2075 BS. She stated that although there was an attempt to bring it back to the Ministry of Home Affairs through an ordinance, a legal vacuum was created due to the failure to bring a replacement bill, and the current bill has been introduced to fill that vacuum. Minister Gautam claimed that in a parliamentary system, the Prime Minister is the head of the executive, and according to the principle of delegation of power and collective responsibility, keeping the department under the Prime Minister's Office would be more effective. She also commented that the arguments raised in the meeting for returning the department to the Ministry of Home Affairs were not sufficiently objective. 'Espionage is a mechanism for collecting information, analyzing it, and guiding the head of government for future strategies,' Minister Gautam said. 'Since the Prime Minister has to consider national security, foreign policy, and the international landscape, intelligence information should be directly available to the head of government. This is a matter connected with the overall interest of the state and the government.' During the discussion, Minister Gautam stated that the government is committed to making the National Investigation Department stronger, more technology-friendly, and more capable. However, she emphasized that since the current amendment proposal is focused only on reviving a specific clause, work must be done within established parliamentary limits. The meeting also discussed the report of the subcommittee for the amendment of the National Special Service Act and the drafting of its procedures. The government has committed to further work on strengthening the department in coordination with stakeholders in the coming days.