HoR meeting: ‘National security should be bolstered’

Minister for Defence Hari Prasad Uprety has said the nation’s security needed to be strengthened. Responding to queries raised in course of the deliberations on the Appropriation Bill, 2081, he insisted that initiatives have been started to bolster up the entire national security through a strong coordination among all the security apparatuses, rendering the National Security Council further effective.

The Defence Minister informed the lower house that a bill related to the national security has been formulated and is in the process of implementation at present through the Ministry’s special prioritization and initiation for appropriately addressing the entire issues related to the national security.

He stated that works have been started to make the Nepali Army inclusive in nature, the representation of backward, marginalized communities has been ensured making the army recruitment process inclusive and provisions have been put in place so that there is no discrimination in the transfer and promotion of army personnel.

Defence Minister Uprety reiterated that the government is committed to making the present security condition of the nation stronger and robust.

He added that the Ministry of Defence has placed strengthening, modernization, enabling and enhancing the professional capacity of the Nepali Army in high priority.

“The government has kept in priority the topic of modernizing, enabling and enhancing the professional capacity of all the security bodies, including the Nepali Army, and becoming self-sufficient in basic security logistics and equipment,” he said.

The Defence Minister said that adequate budget could not be provided due to the government’s compulsion of allocating the limited budget to several sectors. He said comparatively a larger chunk of the budget has been allocated to the National Cadets Corps in order to ignite among the youth a sense of service and dedication to the nation. He shared that there is a plan to impart National Cadet Corps training to 7,407 youths this year. According to him, so far 82,184 youths have been imparted this training.

Stating that the Army has been playing an instrumental role in the conservation of environment, nature and natural heritages, he said the Army is mobilized in nature and environment conservation works, cleaning the mountains, securing historical and archaeological heritages and Chure conservation, among others.

As he said, the Nepali Army is also involved in construction of infrastructure projects of national pride and strategic importance as the Kathmandu-Tarai Express Way Project and road ways in the remote mountainous region. The Army is also involved in disaster rescue, relief and management works.