Home Minister wants robust security for Dec 1 local by-polls

Kathmandu: Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has directed the authorities concerned to ensure that the local-level by-election scheduled for December 1 will take place in a cordial and impartial atmosphere without any fear.

During his virtual meetings with the Chief District Officers from all 77 districts and the office-bearers of the Security Committee, the Home Minister urged them to not take the by-election simply in view of the security aspect.

The by-polls are taking place at 41 places in 33 districts, the Home Minister reminded, adding that CDOs and district police chiefs are responsible for avoiding the situation of a re-voting citing security reasons.

Sharing them about the government preparations for mobilising the Nepali Army (NA) if needed for electoral security, Home Minister Lekhak urged them to make sure that the election will not be disrupted due to security reasons.
“Elections are the foundation of democracy,” he underlined.

Underling the need for more efforts to combat drug smuggling and abuse with an increased awareness of its consequences, he showed his concern over growing cases of cyber abuse. Cases of hate speech and digital harassment have increased on social sites, he said, “Democracy is a system of discipline not of anarchy.”

The CDOs and security mechanisms were reminded to seriously deliver for the prevention of revenue leakage, curb on drug peddling, suicide cases, and road accidents.

He also said the Home Ministry was working on the development of a mechanism required to address the citizens’ grievances. He added that CDOs and police chiefs are the first persons to respond to civic grievances at the district levels.

Similarly, Home Secretary Gokarnamani Duwadi stressed that authorities should deliver in a way that their performances could contribute to increasing citizens’ trust in the government.

He directed the CDOs and security agencies to take measures against fraud in the name of foreign employment, financial crimes, abuse of social sites, suicides, and drug abuse.

The virtual meeting was joined by the Inspector General of Nepal Police, Basanta Bahadur Kunwar, Inspector General of Nepal Police, Raju Aryal, Chief of the National Investigation Department, Hutaraj Thapa, and chiefs of various divisions within the Ministry.