Nepal's Intelligence Agency Deploys 1,800 Personnel for House of Representatives Election Security and Information Gathering
Kathmandu. Nepal's intelligence agency (National Investigation Department) has been tasked with collecting various types of information necessary for the House of Representatives election scheduled for Falgun 21. A total of 1,800 personnel from the department have been deployed in the field to collect, analyze, and transmit information regarding the House of Representatives election.
In accordance with the integrated security plan passed by the Central Security Committee, the department has mobilized both overt and covert personnel to collect and transmit election security-related information. These personnel include permanent staff and temporary sources.
The integrated security plan states, 'Permanent and temporary sources and additional new informants will be mobilized for information collection; if the existing staff is insufficient for such mobilization, arrangements will be made for mobilization from central and provincial offices.'
The National Investigation Department has formed election cells to gather intelligence on individuals involved in anti-election activities, groups capable of creating terror by placing suspicious objects in public places, and potential clashes during the election. Such election cells have been formed in all 85 offices under the department. In these offices, 5-6 employees will transmit information received from field sources to higher authorities.
In the election cells formed at the provincial offices, 7 employees are deployed under the leadership of an officer. A Central Election Cell has been formed at the department's headquarters in Singha Durbar. The Central Election Cell comprises 85 security personnel.
The integrated security plan states, 'Through the Central Election Cell, the study, verification, analysis, and transmission of information received related to the election will be made systematic and swift.'
The Central Election Cell will assign tasks to its subordinate units. For information collection, the department has deployed 5 personnel in metropolitan city areas, 3 in sub-metropolitan city areas, 2 in each municipality, and 1 in each rural municipality in the field. According to a senior official of the department, all personnel and sources have been mobilized in the field as per the integrated security plan.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, 'In addition to those working in the department, temporary and new sources have been mobilized for information collection and transmission.'
The intelligence agency will analyze the election security-related information collected in the field according to its departmental responsibilities and provide it to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Prime Minister's Office, and the Army.
The integrated security plan has been implemented to coordinate at higher levels if any problems arise during the collection and transmission of election security-related information.
- Keeping Reserve Force
Anticipating potential adverse situations during the election, the National Investigation Department has kept manpower in reserve for emergency mobilization. The department's mobilization arrangement under the integrated security plan states, 'Keeping some manpower in reserve to deploy additional personnel in the field on an emergency basis, considering the adverse situations that may arise due to election-related activities.'
The department will expand its information network by deploying additional personnel to reach all polling stations. Department personnel have been deployed in the field to collect mature information regarding security challenges, sensitivity, population density, urban areas, and geographical distance at the polling stations.
The department's deployment is mentioned in the Integrated Security Plan-2082 as, 'In the process of ensuring coverage to all polling stations, sources deployed in the department's areas of responsibility will also be assigned to information collection tasks regarding activities at the polling stations, and additional sources will be mobilized as needed.'
Security personnel from the department will have to coordinate and cooperate with other government agencies while collecting information. Furthermore, personnel from the department will be part of the joint mechanism comprising the Nepali Army, Armed Police Force, and Nepal Police. The integrated security plan decided that a minimum number of department personnel will be mobilized for office operations, and all others will be deployed in the field for election security-related information collection.
This specific news has been automatically translated by AI. As a result, there may be some inaccuracies or language errors.
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