Phidim, March 1:

Every day when the clock strikes 10, a group of security personnel come out from the security base camp here. The group of around 30 security personnel is usually under the command of a lieutenant of the Nepali Army (NA) or an inspector of the Armed Police Force (APF).

However, instead of weapons, the security personnel carry spades, shovels and hammers.

They are engaged in the construction a building of the Child Development Centre (CDC) since the past one month. This is the first time in the district that NA and APF personnel are involved in development construction. The building being constructed by them is located at Bhandaridanda near Jorsal Bazaar in Panchthar district.

All security personnel are contributing to the construction work. An elderly local Balbir Lawati is supervising their work.

The CDC management committee chairperson, Urmila Shrestha, said Lawati gets Rs 200 per day for supervising the security men’s work as they are inexperienced in construction works.

“We asked for their help in the building’s construction as we didn’t have adequate funds,” she said. APF assistant sub-inspector Yadav Dahal said: “This kind of work might be difficult for newly-recruited soldiers but doing such social work is great fun.”

A businessman Tanka Shrestha said such work done by security personnel has elevated their image in people’s eyes. It sends a message among people that security personnel are not are also capable of doing social work, he added.