Home Minister assures of impartial investigation by security agencies

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs, Narayan Kaji Shrestha, assured that security agencies would remain independent of any political influence, power centres, or money game while discharging their duty.

In a meeting held today with former senior officials of security agencies to discuss the ‘strengthening of peace and security,’ the Minister said that the Ministry and its subordinate bodies would strictly adhere to the Constitution, laws, and their designated responsibilities.

“We are devising comprehensive plans to enhance the overall performance of the Home Ministry and its subordinate bodies,” he stated. Furthermore, he said the Ministry has asked the Nepal Police and an investigation unit for ensuring impartial, independent, and efficient investigations into any incident. He said, “Police investigations are guided by laws, facts and evidence.”

He revealed that during the course of investigating cases of corruption and crime, complaints from respective areas are received.

When someone involved in irregularities in the political, administrative, or business sectors is on the verge of being brought under the purview of the law, there may be protests from people within their respective sectors, according to the Minister, who questioned, “Is it possible to promote the rule of law in such a situation and is the law applied only to the general public?”

“The culture of groupism has deeply affected the Nepal Police institution,” he said, adding that the government was actively working to intervene and eradicate such detrimental practices from the organization.

He hoped that security bodies would find a pace if intervention from the political leadership, power centres, the economic influence is prevented by promoting the rule of law.

As he said, he had proposed the Parliament remove the provision for 30-year service in the police administration, he said the provision will be discontinued by a law. The Inspector General of Police is highly positive about the proposal, he said, adding that he was told that the IGP was ready to sacrifice for the removal of the provision.

Expressing his determination to implement the provision of voluntary retirement of police Constable and Head Constable completing 16 years of service and Assistant Sub-Inspector and Sub-Inspector completing 18 years of service, getting the pension in 20 years, the DPM and Home Minister said the matter is being discussed with the Ministry of Finance.

As he said, the Home Ministry is taking the initiative as to how the morale of police constables, head constables and sub-inspectors could be boosted and how they can be made to work.

“The police have to work 24 hours; how can we work with a ‘depressed force’? Discussion is on with the Public Service Commission to make the promotion of the police constables and the junior officers regular,” he asserted.

Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal’s former Inspectors General and Additional Inspectors General lauded the steps initiated by the present government in controlling corruption and the promotion of good governance.

On the occasion, they had given suggestions for policy and structural reforms, timely increment in the pay and facilities, paying attention to the career development of police personnel, making the transfer, promotions and foreign training predictable, dissuading impunity, and bringing the National Investigation Department under the Home Ministry.

Home Secretary Dinesh Bhattarai, Inspector General of Nepal Police Basana Kunwar, APF Nepal’s Inspector General Raju Aryal, high-level officials of the Ministry, police former chiefs and police former high officers were present in the interaction.