Kathmandu, September 9

As many as 5,916 personnel have quit Nepal Police over a period of four years.

Deputy Inspector General Nawa Raj Silwal dissatisfied with the government’s decision to appoint DIG Prakash Aryal as the inspector general of police put in papers on October 7 last year. DIG Shila Kansakar quit the service on December 7 last year, citing ‘private reasons’.

Similarly, DIG Ramesh Prasad Kharel announced his resignation on April 11 after the government appointed DIG Sarbendra Khanal as the IGP. He publicly said the government’s decision had hurt his dignity and pride. On January 16, 2015, Senior Superintendent of Police Ganananda Bhatta resigned for ‘promoting officials junior to him’.

SSP Subodh Ghimire, who was due for a promotion and still had two years to be eligible for pension, tendered his resignation on July 11, 2016, saying he wanted to give quality time to his family in the USA.

The statistics show that 1,723 resigned in 2071 BS, 1,252 in 2072, 1,160 in 2073 BS and 1,781 in 2074 BS. Similarly, 577 quit Nepal Police in two months (Baishakh and Jestha) of 2075 BS. SSP Shailesh Thapa Kshetri, Nepal Police spokesperson, said majority of cops, who quit the service, mentioned their ‘private and domestic problems’ as the reason for resignation.

“No one has blamed the security organisation for putting in papers,” he claimed. Not only the DIGs and two SSPs, but also two SPs, 11 DSPs and 49 inspectors resigned from Nepal Police in the past four years.

Assistant sub-inspectors, head constables and constables constitute nearly 80 per cent of the personnel quitting the job. A police source said job stress, family pressure, workload and better opportunities abroad, among other things, were attributed to the resignation. Many of them quit the job after being eligible to be entitled to pension.

“In every organisation, be it government or private, an employee has the right to quit anytime. Security body is no exception and the organisation takes the resignation normally. Nepal Police is a dynamic body of the Government of Nepal and the resignations do not affect its business. This creates employment opportunity for others,” SSP Kshetri said.

Problems at home, low remuneration and better opportunities in foreign countries as security guards are also the reasons for quitting, he informed. Many junior cops do not want to continue working after being eligible for pension and getting the opportunity to participate in UN peacekeeping missions. Such resignation and new recruitment prompt the security body to fill the vacancy.

Junior police personnel, who are younger than 35 years of age, are eligible to get better opportunities abroad on the ground of their working experience in the security agency. Gulf and war-torn countries have become their favoured destination.