With the peaceful completion of the election, about 1.5 lakh election police have returned home. They were sent off from all over the country simultaneously on Thursday. They are happy that they were able to serve the country after being deployed in election security for 40 days and are of the opinion that this experience will be used in the social sector in the coming days. 

149,090 people aged 18 to 54 under the Nepal Police and Armed Police Force (APF) were recruited as election police. Nepal Police recruited and deployed 133,980 people and Armed Police Force recruited and deployed 15,110 people in the election police. 

They were recruited on 3 Magh and underwent 10 days of basic security training and 1 day of election security refresher training. They were deployed in the field as assistants to the police and the armed forces during the 21 Falgun election, before and during the counting period. What experience did the election police gain while working in election security? What are their future plans? Kantipur spoke to them on this topic:

Poonam Neupane and Bishnu Prasad Bhandari of Radhapur, Bharatpur Metropolitan City-14, Chitwan are a couple who have returned home after completing their duties as election police. Poonam has worked as election police 4 times, including this election. This is the second experience for her husband Bishnu. Bishnu had worked in Qatar for 15 years for employment and returned to Nepal a while ago. Poonam said that she became an election police officer to meet household expenses after not having any other work. They have a son and a daughter. Both are studying in school. 

She expressed her happiness at being able to become an election police officer. ‘We had just built a house. We had no money and could not even connect drinking water to the house. It had been 6 months since we had paid our children’s school fees,’ she said. ‘I am happy that many of the pending works will be completed with the money that has come now.’

Poonam farms in other times. ‘It is difficult for those of us who do not have jobs like us to earn 40 to 45 thousand by farming. That's why I thought that I would complete this work after becoming an election police officer before the elections. Some of the work that was stalled will be completed with the money that comes now.' She said that every time she is in charge of the election police, she has a different experience. 'Every time, new friends are made. Everyone tells us about their joys and sorrows,' she said.

Dilkumari Khadka, 22, from Sindhuli Bhiman, was returning to her room after completing her duty as an election police officer. She has been living with her siblings in a rented room in a secluded corner of Lalitpur. Khadka, who studied in a village school until Plus Two, came to Kathmandu two years ago with the dream of finding a job. But she said that no matter how much she searched, she could not get the job she wanted.

Dilkumari also wants to study for a bachelor's degree. But she said that she could not study due to her poor financial situation. 'There is one brother and five sisters in the family. It has been many years since my father passed away. "My mother raised us by farming," she said. "I thought I would help my mother by working."

After not getting a job in her home country, she also took the Korean language test to go abroad. But the results were not as expected. In the meantime, when the recruitment for the election police opened, she also applied and was selected. "After becoming an election police officer, I have come to the idea of ​​living in Nepal and working here. I want to join the Nepal Police," she said.

She said that from the money she received as an election police officer, she would send some of the money to her mother for household expenses, pay the room rent, and repay the loan she had taken to learn Korean. During the election, she was deployed at the Bhim Sewa Bhawan in Mangalbazar, Kathmandu. "I was afraid that there would be some riots during the election, but nothing happened, which was a joy," she said.

Similarly, 53-year-old Rajya Bhul, a resident of Mangalsen Municipality-4, also worked as an election police officer. Rajya, who has now returned home, said that she is very happy that she has earned money for her household expenses. "Other times, there is nothing to do but stay at home. Nor is there any money. How would I manage household expenses? The money I received as an election policeman covered my expenses for a few months," she said.

Some youths who gained experience as election policemen said that they had saved their education expenses. They also said that this experience would help them do great things in the future. One of them is Ganesh Poudel, 19, of Jhowang, Annapurna Rural Municipality-5, Kaski. He was deployed to guard the polling station of Narayan Secondary School, Madi Rural Municipality-8, on 21 Falgun. Poudel also returned home from the Ward Police Office Baidam (Kaski) after completing his duty on Thursday.

He says, "There was a fear that there would be any untoward incident on election day, but the election was peaceful, the voters were also supportive, there were no clashes or arguments, I have returned home after fulfilling my assigned duty." Ganesh lives in a room in Pokhara. He was studying Korean before becoming an election policeman. But he said that he decided to become an election police officer with the idea of ​​continuing his studies later.

He said that he decided to become an election police officer to meet his expenses because it was difficult to always ask his family for money for everything. ‘This is my first income. I am thinking of paying the fees for studying Korean with the money I receive and sending it home,’ he said. ‘Mommy told me that you don’t have to be afraid when you are young. I stubbornly took the election police exam. I will be happy to see the money I have earned.’ He said that this experience will help him become a good citizen.

Similarly, 18-year-old Asmita Khanal, a resident of Mangalsen Municipality-8, was studying Plus Two. After learning that a firm was opened for election police, she also applied. She said that she became an election police officer to cover her education expenses. Menuka is happy to have gained experience in election police. She feels that she would have been able to join the Nepal Police. ‘My dream is to stay in Nepal and serve the country. I am also preparing. I think the experience of the election police will be of great help in the preparation of the Nepal Police in the coming days.’

Anisha Jairu, a resident of Makalu-2, Sankhuwasabha, also worked as an election police officer. She has been studying in a rented room in Khandbari-1 and said that her experience of the election police was very good. She says, ‘I am happy to serve the country even for a short time.’ Anisha, who is studying in Plus Two, is thinking of paying the room rent and buying rations with the money she earned while working as an election police officer. ‘My two sisters and I are studying in the city. It may not be enough to send money home, but I have thought that I will pay the room rent, buy food and cover other expenses with that money,’ she said. 

 She said that she learned a lot while working as an election police officer. ‘Everyone taught her the job. They explained well that they did not even go to the training place,’ she said, ‘Even when I worked as an election police officer, all the police officers helped me. I got a good experience even in a short time.' Her dream is to become a police officer and serve the country. She said that the experience of the election police has given her even more encouragement. Sen Bahadur Khatri of Katari Municipality-2, Kalyanpur, who returned home after completing the responsibility of the election police, shared the experience of learning, experiencing and knowing while working with the Nepal Police during this period that will be useful in the future. Khatri, who is deployed under the Lalitpur district, was also deployed as a temporary police officer in the previous House of Representatives elections. 

'The election was held peacefully, we were able to fulfill our responsibilities without any untoward incident, this is the big thing,' he said, 'In addition, we were able to work with the army for one and a half months in peace and security management and election security, we learned a lot from this, it has also inspired us to become good citizens in the future.' He said that he will use the money he earns for household expenses.

Police spokesperson DIG Avinarayan Kafle said that the contribution and role played by the election police during this period will be fruitful and useful for society. He said that the election police can make a significant contribution to society in their role as good citizens. He informed that the election police have also been urged to play a role in peace and security management, improving citizen-police relations, and preventing and controlling crime.

The election police have been provided with facilities in accordance with the basic salary scale, clothing, and ration allowance of the police and armed police personnel. An election policeman was provided with a salary of 34,000 rupees for 40 days at 869 rupees per day and 40 paisa, a ration allowance for 40 days as determined by the District Rate Determination Committee (varies according to the district), a one-time allowance of 846 rupees per person (transportation allowance) to go and return to the place where they were deployed for the election, a lump sum of 1,200 rupees for lunch at the rate of 300 rupees per day for four days, and a one-time clothing allowance as determined by the police and armed police in that district according to the weather in the district.