Around 27 billion rupees are to be spent on the management and security of the upcoming House of Representatives elections. The budget for the House of Representatives elections scheduled for 21 Falgun is being managed under the current and capital expenditure of the Election Commission, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the security agencies under it.

Of this, the Ministry of Finance has already ensured a resource of 6.73 billion 6.69 billion rupees for the commission. The Ministries of Home and Defense have proposed to the Ministry of Finance to manage a resource of about 20.5 billion rupees for election security. The proposal for the expenditure required for both ministries, the Nepal Army, Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force (APF), the National Investigation Department and the Election Police has been submitted to the Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of Finance has stated that discussions are ongoing regarding the proposed budget. 

The Central Security Committee meeting has decided to recruit 147,000 election police (formerly temporary police) for election security. It has been proposed to allocate 9.15 billion rupees for the election police, including remuneration, uniform and ration allowance, transportation expenses, lunch allowance, etc., with a 40-day working period.

Similarly, it has been proposed to allocate Rs 4.2 billion for the Nepal Police, Rs 3.44 billion for the Nepal Army, Rs 3.33 billion for the Armed Police Force, Rs 31.46 billion for all 77 District Administration Offices, Rs 31.14 billion for the Ministry of Home Affairs and Rs 69 million for the National Investigation Department.

After the Gen-G agitation on 23 and 24 Bhadra, after the barracks and offices of the security agencies, vehicles were vandalized and arsoned, and arms/bullets were looted, the government had allocated around Rs 1 billion for the army, police and the armed forces to manage essential provisions. The Ministry of Home Affairs has stated that the budget draft sent to the finance ministry last time focuses only on election security purposes.

According to Anand Kafle, spokesperson of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the budget for the election police to be recruited for election security will be managed along with salaries, uniforms, rations, transportation expenses, training, lunch expenses, etc. Similarly, a budget has been requested from the Finance Ministry for water/electricity, office operations, training, travel, house rent and various other items for the election police and regular security personnel. 'After ensuring the resources, the work of temporary recruitment and security management will begin,' he said. It has been decided to deploy 79,727 personnel from the army, 71,620 personnel from the police, 35,116 personnel from the Armed Police Force and 1,900 personnel from the Investigation Department for election security.

Similarly, the government has requested India to provide non-lethal security equipment and vehicles for election purposes. The Finance Ministry has requested India through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide vehicles and security equipment used for crowd control for the upcoming elections for the Election Commission, the Ministry of Home Affairs and security agencies. Before sending the letter regarding the provision of assistance, officials of the Indian Embassy in Nepal had discussions with officials of the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Immediately after the announcement of the election of members of the House of Representatives in Nepal, India had given a message that it was ready to provide the necessary assistance for the elections. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a list of vehicles and non-lethal security equipment to the Indian side last month. According to a Foreign Ministry source, more than 1,900 vehicles, including four-wheelers and two-wheelers, have been requested. 510 vehicles and 250 motorcycles have been requested for the Nepal Police, and 336 vehicles for the Armed Police Force. 

Similarly, 280 vehicles have been requested for the District Administration Offices under the Ministry of Home Affairs, and 11 vehicles and 30 motorcycles for the National Investigation Department. Similarly, 347 four-wheelers and 153 motorcycles have been requested for the Election Commission. The Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force have also been requested to provide non-lethal security equipment for crowd control. These include tear gas, gas guns, water cannons, helmets, shields, and other equipment. 

Munu Mahawar, Additional Secretary of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and Head of the North Desk for Nepal and Bhutan, who visited Nepal last month, returned saying that India would provide all possible assistance for the elections. It is not yet certain how much assistance will be provided from India in terms of the requested vehicles and security equipment. ‘The request has been made, and there has been a commitment to bring the goods from there,’ said a foreign ministry official, ‘but it is not yet certain how much will be provided.’ Similarly, countries such as China, Britain, America, Germany and others have also promised assistance for the elections, but it is not yet clear what kind of assistance, according to foreign sources.

How much budget for which body?

Election Commission 6.73 billion

Election Police (former Temporary Police) 9.15 billion

Nepal Police 4.2 billion