Home Minister Gurung Inspects Police Headquarters, Announces Plans for Uniform Factory and IGP Promotion Change

Kathmandu. Home Minister Sudhan Gurung inspected the Police Headquarters on Monday. Addressing the gathering, Minister Gurung announced plans to establish a factory within Nepal to manufacture police uniforms. He stated, 'A factory should be established in the rural areas of Nepal to produce quality clothing.'

Raising another significant point, Gurung said, 'From now on, the Prime Minister, not the Secretary of the Ministry, will affix the insignia on the IGP.' Although senior police officials have long lobbied for the Prime Minister to award the insignia to the IGP, no one had previously shown interest in the matter.

When the Home Minister made this announcement from the public stage, the auditorium hall of the Police Headquarters in Naxal echoed with applause.

After the Home Minister's address concluded, IGP Dan Bahadur Karki began his thank-you speech. Mentioning the increasing problem of personnel leaving the police force, he said, 'It is necessary to solve this problem immediately.'

Karki informed that the proposal to reduce the service period for retirement from 20 years to 16 years to retain constables in police service has been pending for a long time. IGP Karki stated, 'I could not retain my police personnel; this is the main problem right now.'

IGP Karki became emotional and paused during his address. Silence fell over the hall. Then, the Home Minister stood up from his seat. He signaled the Home Ministry Secretary, Rajkumar Shrestha, who was with him, and all the police officers to stand. Minister Gurung applauded in support of the IGP. Everyone present in the hall supported the IGP with applause.

Home Minister Gurung inspected all departments of the Police Headquarters and the Digital Forensic Lab. Recalling the deprivations he experienced while working with lower-ranking police personnel in the past, having to subsist on flattened rice (chiura) and instant noodles while on duty, Gurung said, 'There is an obligation to fulfill a great responsibility.'

Minister Gurung declared his commitment to changing the situation where the police have to perform duties without adequate resources and means. He pledged to keep the police free from interference from his party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), and the Home Ministry. He said, 'If anyone pressures you for wrongdoings, inform me; I will not spare even those from my own party if they exert such pressure.'

A police officer present at the inspection address informed that Gurung stated the police would not be sent to control riots in Kathmandu and other major cities without necessary protective gear. An investigation commission had concluded that security lapses occurred due to poor preparation when deploying police during recent 'Gen Z' protests.