Minister tries to babysit industrialists

KATHMANDU: After murders of entrepreneurs and threats to them, the government has woken up to the necessity of security to the industrialists.

“We will launch a one industrialist, one Armed Police Force (APF) policy,” said Minister for Industries Mahendra Prasad Yadav at a press meet in Reporters’ Club here today.

Minister Yadav said the industrialists will have to bear the expenses of the security arrangement. He also said the government is in the final stages of putting together an Industrial Security Force (ISP).

Industrialists have

been asking for an industrial security force as they

face disturbances that hamper production.

“The Home Ministry, along with Ministry

of Industry, is preparing

the required policy for industrial security force that will take one month period,” he informed.

However, he admitted that the lack of sufficient budget for an Industrial Security Force has delayed the work. He said the government is also working to

fulfill other demands raised by industrialists regarding removal of electricity

demand charge and uninterrupted electricity supply for five days a week in

industrial corridors. environment for industrial

operation.

Meanwhile, inaugurating Nepal Pharma Expo-2010 here, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal said the police force should work to maintain peace and security in the country. “There should be enthusiasm within the force to maintain peace and security,” he said adding that it should utilize its capacity effectively.

While he claimed that

his government was committed to maintaining peace and security, he urged all sectors to help to this effect. The PM also urged the entrepreneurs to provide information to the security bodies and not to keep hide information if they feel insecurity

On the occasion FNCCI vice-president Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar sought security for entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, the industrialists have been pressing Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal and Home Minister Bhim Bahadur Rawal everyday asking for security saying they are getting death threats via e-mail regularly. The situation has worsened so much that they have warned the government they will shut down their businesses if it fails to provide them security within a month.