According to the regional police office, 180 of the 324 police posts have been set up in rented houses. Superintendent of Police (SP) at the regional office Mahendra Kumar Pokharel said Rukum alone has 20 such posts, while Banke has 18 and Bardiya, Jajarkot, Dang and Rolpa have 15 each. Similarly, Surkhet has 12 such posts, while Kalikot and Salyan have 10, Dailekh and Pyuthan eight each, Jumla, Humla and Dolpa seven each and Mugu six.
The regional office said the ruined posts could not be rebuilt as the government has not allocated budget for the purpose. A few posts have been moved to buildings owned by health centers and village development committees, while others have rented private buildings.
Police personnel stationed at rural posts complained that they faced difficulties while undertaking their regular duties for lack of office building. “Police personnel in the district headquarters can at least rent an office building. But we can´t get rooms even if we wish to pay,” complained a policeman, who had come to Birendranagar from a rural post. He added the locals were reluctant to rent their houses to the police.
Worse still, a few displaced posts have not been set up even after the end of the conflict. “Around 20 posts of the region have been set up in the district headquarters,” SP Pokharel informed. He, however, added that the arrangement had not affected the service delivery.
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