KATHMANDU, Nov 24: The Ministry of Home Affairs is in the final phase of procuring essential vehicles for Nepal’s three security agencies as part of preparations for a peaceful and secure March 5 House of Representatives election.
The process, initiated under the direction of Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, gained momentum after the Ministry of Finance granted approval to replace vehicles destroyed during the recent Gen Z demonstrations. Officials say they are confident that the required vehicles will be delivered before the election.
According to the Home Ministry, Nepal Police alone had suffered extensive damage during the protests, with 465 police offices and units affected nationwide and 571 vehicles either burned or rendered unusable. By mid-November, a total of 449 of these offices had already been repaired and restored to full operation, while repair work on the remaining 16 is currently underway.
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The Ministry’s Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division said efforts are ongoing to ensure all offices return to service as quickly as possible.
The Armed Police Force had also recorded significant losses, with 84 offices damaged and 61 of its vehicles fully torched. The National Investigation Department reported destruction to two buildings and three district offices, along with damage to 11 four-wheelers and 30 motorcycles. The estimated loss across these institutions amounts to roughly Rs 89 million.
To rebuild capacity, the Ministry of Finance has approved major procurement plans for all three agencies. Nepal Police has received Rs 351.1 million from the regular budget to purchase 156 vehicles, along with an additional Rs 453 million for 106 more vehicles. The ministry states that vehicles worth a total of Rs 804.1 million will be acquired this fiscal year. Regular-budget procurement includes 75 pickup vans for patrolling, one prisoner transport vehicle, 28 vehicles for office use, 41 electric four-wheelers for office operations and 10 escort pickup vans. The Home Ministry secured procurement approval from the Finance Ministry on October 10 and has already begun the necessary administrative procedures.
Similarly, the Armed Police Force has been cleared to purchase 59 vehicles, including disaster-response units, Bolero pickup vans, riot-control trucks and ambulances, through allocation of Rs 210.6 million from the regular budget. An additional Rs 50.6 million has been provided to procure 50 more vehicles within this fiscal year. The National Investigation Department has also received Rs 28 million in budget approval to acquire six new four-wheelers.
Officials say that the restoration of damaged security structures and the timely procurement of essential vehicles are critical steps to ensure a secure, fear-free and credible federal election.
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