Nepal Government Reverses Decision to Relocate National Police Academy

Kathmandu. On Bhadra 1, 2075, the Council of Ministers decided to relocate the National Police Training Academy in Maharajgunj to Panauti, Kavre. This decision, made under the then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, faced significant criticism.

Former IGPs and senior police officers expressed dissatisfaction and pressured the government to reverse the decision, but KP Oli ignored these concerns. The government at the time intended to use the site for a parking lot and helipad for the President's Office.

Pushkar Karki, the then-AIG and Executive Director of the academy, had insisted that the land behind Kanti Hospital was necessary for police parades. Former AIG Karki stated, 'The President's Office wanted the space for a parking lot, but I insisted on needing the land behind Kanti Hospital in exchange.' Senior officers argued that the academy's land and structures were essential for training, but KP Oli remained firm on his decision to remove the academy from Maharajgunj.

Seven and a half years later, the Council of Ministers led by Balendra Shah 'Balen' has reversed the previous decision, allowing the National Police Training Academy to remain in Maharajgunj. According to the decision made on Baisakh 10, the 114 ropani and 3 ana of land will return to the National Police Training Academy, enabling the police to continue their advanced training there.

Following the decision to return the land, IGP Dan Bahadur Karki described the move as a significant and historic achievement for the police organization. Karki wrote on social media, 'It is believed that this decision will have a far-reaching positive impact on the institutional strengthening, long-term infrastructure development, and professional efficiency of the Nepal Police.'

IGP Karki thanked Prime Minister Balen Shah and the cabinet members for the decision. Former Minister and retired AIG Rajendra Singh Bhandari remarked, 'The Maharajgunj training center is our pilgrimage site; this is a good decision.'

Bhandari, who served as Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security in the interim cabinet led by Sushila Karki, noted that discussions about returning the land to the police had taken place during his tenure. He added, 'Sushila Karki was also positive about returning the police structures and land, and the current government has now made that decision.'

Former AIG Karki believes the academy's land should never have been transferred to other agencies. He stated, 'The land should not have been taken at that time.' In 2078, after Sher Bahadur Deuba became Prime Minister, 14 former IGPs demanded the return of the Maharajgunj land and the cancellation of the relocation order, led by Motilal Bohara, but Deuba did not overturn Oli's decision.

The government had previously instructed the Police Headquarters not to build any new structures at the training academy. Officers working there mentioned that even repairing a house damaged by the earthquake had to be done discreetly.

The police began training at Shrimahal in Lalitpur in 2011 BS. After Shrimahal, the training center was established as the Central Police Training Center in Maharajgunj, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in Magh 2082.

The police are also constructing a training academy in Panauti, Kavrepalanchok. The Police Headquarters plans to conduct basic training there once the structures are ready, while the Maharajgunj facility will be used for advanced-level training, according to academy officials.

Former AIG Karki noted that it would be impossible to bring resource persons to Panauti for various high-level training programs. He said, 'Efforts to build a training center in Panauti had been ongoing for a long time, and the plan was always to conduct basic training there.'

A Step to Boost Morale

Security officers have praised the recent cabinet decision as a step to boost police morale. Welcoming the decision, IGP Karki said, 'We expect continued guardianship from the government in the coming days for the institutional strengthening, professional capacity, and morale enhancement of the police, as well as for effective service delivery.'

During the Gen-Z protests, police units in Kathmandu Valley and other districts were attacked. After Bhadra 23 and 24, some police personnel were unable to return to duty for a few days. A senior officer at the Police Headquarters stated that this decision is crucial for restoring the morale that had declined during that period.

The officer added, 'There has been a slight increase in ration allowances, and the academy has been returned; such decisions are what will help boost morale.'