Kathmandu: A total of 260,000 security personnel have been deployed for the local-level elections slated for Friday. Among them, 100,000 are temporary police personnel.
More than 65 thousand Nepal Police personnel, over 32 thousand Armed Police Force (APF) personnel, and 71 thousand Nepali Army personnel are mobilized for securing the election.
Security is provided in three cordons. In the first cordon are the Nepal Police and temporary police personnel, in the second cordon are the APF personnel, and the Nepali Army personnel are mobilized in the third (outer) cordon, the Ministry of Home Affairs said.
Nepali Army spokesperson Narayan Silwal said that the Army has devised a security plan so that the security persons will be able to reach the polling stations maximum within 30 minutes.
Nepal Police spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Bishnu Kumar KC said that there was less election security challenge this time as the activities of the criminal groups were almost nil. However, the police were alert against any untoward incidents that might take place between the political parties and their representatives.
He further added that the election environment this time is by and large peaceful. Some sporadic incidents have taken place in various districts, he said. According to him, up to 18 police personnel have been mobilized at a voting station.
The four security bodies – Nepal Police, APF, the National Investigation Department, and Nepal Army – have prepared and implemented an integrated election security plan. The four agencies have also devised their separate security strategy as well.
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