The Ministry of Finance has ensured resources of one and a half billion rupees for the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and National Investigation Department to purchase 251 four-wheelers.
What you should know
The government has approved the purchase of 250 vehicles for all three security agencies. The Ministry of Finance has ensured resources of 1.25 billion rupees for the Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department to purchase 251 four-wheelers.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that the budget source has been ensured from the Ministry of Finance to purchase 175 vehicles for the police, 70 for the armed forces and 6 for the department. For this, a budget of Rs 800 million has been ensured for the police, Rs 440 million for the armed forces and Rs 30 million for the department.
Of this, Rs 350 million for the police and Rs 210 million for the armed forces have been managed to be purchased from the budget allocated for the current fiscal year. An additional Rs 480 million for both the police forces has been managed from the budget under the Bhaipari heading. Officials of both security agencies informed that the vehicle procurement process will be moved forward soon from the budget with the source ensured.
During the protest on 24 Bhadra, 525 vehicles of the police and 62 vehicles of the armed forces were vandalized and set on fire. After that, all three security agencies sent a letter to the Ministry of Finance requesting the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide the necessary budget for the management of physical infrastructure. After a preliminary study on the damaged vehicles, the Ministry of Finance has stated that a budget worth 1.25 billion rupees has been allocated to purchase vehicles.
On 24 Bhadra, 455 police barracks and offices were damaged in vandalism and arson. Of these, 258 barracks/offices were completely damaged and 197 were partially damaged. Even in the difficult situation that followed, the police returned to regular work after temporarily repairing and painting 401 offices in collaboration with the community.
The damage assessment of the buildings destroyed by the fire has not been done, work has been carried out while communication equipment is still being installed, and the budget has been ensured to purchase vehicles in a much smaller quantity than requested, according to the Police Headquarters. After the vandalism and arson, temporary management was put in place and the damaged units across the country, including the Kathmandu Valley Police Office and the Kathmandu Valley Criminal Investigation Office, were temporarily managed and resumed. The partially damaged offices were painted and repaired and resumed work from their original locations, but there was a shortage of vehicles.
Taking advantage of the demonstration, more than 14,000 prisoners broke out of 28 prisons and juvenile detention centers. 1,276 firearms and about 100,000 rounds of ammunition belonging to the police alone were looted and disappeared. Not only barracks, but also uniforms and communication equipment of the security forces were looted.
According to the Police Headquarters, about 5,000 prisoners and detainees who escaped from prisons and police detention cells are still outside. Of the looted, 258 INSAS and SLR rifles and 271 small arms have not been recovered. The day after the Gen-G demonstration, 237 people have been arrested for vandalism and arson in government, public and private and industrial establishments/offices, including the killing of 3 policemen. Police said the search for others identified as involved in the crime is ongoing.
