KATHMANDU, April 19:  The government has canceled the procedure which was introduced to give private companies the responsibility of obtaining the personal details of citizens for the issuance of national identity cards. A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Tuesday rejected the procedure that was hastily issued by the then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane and decided to proceed with the investigation process.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha said in a press conference held at the Ministry of Home Affairs after the cabinet meeting that the procedure will be scrapped.

"The contract related to the national identity card given by the then Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane against the prevailing law of Nepal has been canceled and the government has decided to form an inquiry committee for further study," said a minister after the cabinet meeting. 

Sources said that the government has also confiscated the bond kept for the contract. The cabinet has also ruled that the contract awarded by the then Home Minister Lamichhane is against the Public Procurement Act.

"The procedure and the contract have been canceled as it is against national security and integrity," said the minister. Lamichhane, who was sworn in as Home Minister on December 27, approved the procedure just two days after taking charge of the ministry. He himself has admitted that the issue of inviting bids with a deadline of 7 days does not seem to be in line with the current Public Procurement Act and Regulations. 

The government itself was taking the initiative to create a mechanism to obtain the biological and personal details of citizens regarding the National Identity Card, but Lamichhane betrayed the country by approving the procedure to give it to a private company, said a source requesting anonymity.

Home minister tells government employees to be free from political pressure

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, who has been saying that he is a political ascetic, has instructed the employees under the Ministry of Home Affairs to work without any political pressure and under the influence of any party. He gave this instruction while warning that he would take action if the information he received from sources about the employees under the Home Ministry knocking on the doors of politicians is proven to be true.

There is a custom of knocking on the doors of the Ministry of Home Affairs and houses of middlemen for the transfer of CDOs, the transfer and promotion of army and police officials or their own people. Home Minister Shrestha claimed that this trend will be stopped by making rules. 

"The security agencies will be freed from political pressure and unwanted maneuvers. If the complaints of meeting with leaders are true, maximum action will be taken against such employees," Minister Shrestha said, adding, "Security agencies and home administration will be free from any power center or any political pressure.”

According to Home Minister Shrestha, the employees assigned by the ministry are not allowed to become passive and make any kind of excuses. "There is no room for making excuses in service delivery. My priority is patriotism, good governance, dedication to the service and prosperity of the nation and the people, because of which no one is allowed to make excuses," he said.

He said that the role of middlemen in the security agencies will be reduced to zero. He added that if the morale of those working in the security agency falls, the security system itself will be questioned, hence, a pressure-free system should be established. 

Home Minister Shrestha has said that he will develop a system of posting in security agencies on the basis of fairness. “One of the serious questions of the country now is the campaign to cleanse politics. I am convinced that the country cannot change without cleansing politics. This is what we are insisting on now, our security agencies and home administration should be free from politics, any power center or any political pressure,” he said.

He said that procedures will be made to remove the distortions seen in the contract of Nepal Police. He added that the issue of adding manpower to the armed police has progressed in a positive manner and the government and the ministry have become serious about border security. 

He clarified that the government is in favor of granting citizenship certificates to the genuine citizens as soon as possible. Minister Shrestha further said that since the issue of citizenship is sensitive, a national consensus is being initiated on it. 

 
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