KATHMANDU, July 29: The cabinet has endorsed a special security plan aimed at improving the deteriorated law and order situation across country. The plan prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs comes into effect from Thursday. [break]
- Security forces with weapons to patrol on motorbikes
- Security picketing 24 hours
- No closure of offices, blockade of roads and traffic
- Emergency frisking and searches
- Cordon and search in suspect areas
The much-hyped plan proposes to focus on five main areas. It proposes to control road blockades besides curbing organized and serious types of crime. It says that the government will adopt special security measures for Kathmandu Valley, which has seen a surge in serious criminal activities including kidnapping, in recent days. It further says the government will mobilize the security agencies.
The plan unveiled in parliament also aims to improve the security situation in the Tarai, especially in the eastern and mid-western regions where scores of armed groups have posed a threat to law and order in the southern plains bordering India. It proposes to effectively mobilize the three security agencies - Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department- under a unified command.
“The main objective of the plan is to control anarchy, promote human rights and end impunity” Home Minister Bhim Rawal told reporters while emerging out of a cabinet meeting.
Deteriorating law and order has been a major concern in Nepal especially after the Maoists joined mainstream politics in November 2006.
Rawal, who has been serious about the law and order situation ever since he became Home Ministry in June, said the government would implement the plan seriously.
“Ensuring essential services and nabbing criminals are the core objectives”, the plan unveiled by Rawal in parliament states.
The plan aims to strictly prohibit the closing of public offices and educational institutions. The plan says that the government will deploy well-equipped security personnel with adequate arms and coordinate with security staff deployed in various areas of the border.
The plan aims to provide security for those targeted by criminals. To take special care of the crime-prone and to massively mobilize security personnel are also strategies under the plan. Home Minister Rawal said the government will ask media to assist in its mission of improving law and order in the country.
Emergency frisking, searches, mobilizing armed security personnel on motorbikes, surveillances by CCTV, adopting security alarm systems and providing quasi-judicial authority to metropolitan police are also strategies under the plan. The government has estimated that Rs 3.8 billion will be spent for this purpose.
10 AIGs appointed, NEA chief named
Meanwhile, the cabinet meeting on Wednesday also promoted 10 Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force to the post of Additional Inspectors General (AIGs).
The cabinet meeting held at Singha Darbur took a decision to promote six DIGs from Nepal Police and four from APF to the post of AIGs. The promoted DIGs from Nepal Police are: Madan Bahadur Khadka, Naresh Gurung, Kalyan Timalsina, Kiran Gautam, Prakash Kunwar and Arjun Jung Shahi. Those promoted as AIGs from APF are: Krishna Bahadur Bista, Shailendra Kumar Shrestha, Kosh Raj Onta and Thakur Mohan Shrestha.
The cabinet also promoted Moti Bahadur Gurung and Jeet Bahadur KC to the post of Additional Chief Investigator at the National Investigation Department (NID). Gurung and KC were serving as Investigation Director (DIG level position) at the NID.
The cabinet has also appointed Dr Jibendra Jha to the post of Executive Director of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Similarly, Hari Narayan Shah has been appointed as the Executive General Manager of Food Corporation of Nepal.
Dr Govinda Thapa has been named an Alternate Executive Director of Asian Development Bank. Dr Thapa, who retired as executive director from the Nepal Rastra Bank, will work at the ADB headquarters in Manila, the Philippines, for three years.
Related story
Two DIGs knock on SC’s door against promotion of three DIGs to...
