A police commissionerate will be set up in the Itanagar capital complex area to improve the law and order situation in the state capital, Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu said on Wednesday.

The announcement came during an all-party meeting held at Khandu’s office here to discuss the modalities of the system. However, Khandu did not say when the commissionerate would be introduced.

The commissionerate system gives more powers, including magisterial powers, to police officers and is aimed at better and effective policing.

Khandu, who co-chaired the meeting with BJP state president Biyuram Wahge and former chief minister Nabam Tuki, said the system would bring effective changes in the law-and-order situation in the capital within a year.

“The commissionerate will enable effective policing in a complex area such as Itanagar, which has diverse cultures living side by side and which is growing at a fast pace,” the chief minister said.

“Itanagar-Naharlagun is the face of our state. So it is necessary to maintain peace and order in the capital complex to achieve meaningful development,” he added.

The Itanagar capital complex comprises the three circles of Itanagar, Naharlagun and Banderdewa.

Home minister Bamang Felix said the new system would provide better accountability as responsibility would be fixed directly on the police department, eliminating all chances of blame game between the civil administration and the police in the event of any policing failure. Under the system, there will be more higher officers for intensive policing in dense urban areas, he added.

Explaining the rationale for a commissionerate in the capital complex, director-general of police R.P. Upadhyay said earlier in the day that the system would enable swift and unified action.

The commissionerate would be headed by a commissioner of police (of deputy inspector-general of police or a higher rank), who will be assisted by deputy commissioners of police, (of superintendent of police rank) and assistant commissioners of police (of deputy superintendent of police rank). The DCPs will head police functions such as traffic, crime, security and law and order.

Representatives of political parties such as the Congress, Janata Dal (United), National People’s Party, People’s Party of Arunachal extended support to the system.

The all-party meeting also discussed possibilities of a non-party system in the panchayat elections. Khandu said this would enable best leaders to get a chance and would preserve community camaraderie.