KATHMANDU, NOVEMBER 6

Nepal Police has started working to address problems and grievances of low-ranking personnel of the security agency.

Senior Superintendent of Police Kuber Kadayat, Nepal Police spokesperson, said the problems facing head constables and constables would be resolved on the basis of findings of a study recently released by the security agency. It had conducted a nine-month field study to take stock of morale, problems, grievances and frustrations of low-ranking police personnel. Head constables and constables account for 76.82 per cent of total strength of Nepal Police.

The study comes in the wake of increased number of police personnel quitting the service. As many as 7,714 personnel have put in papers over a period of three years. Majority of cops, who quit the service, mentioned their ‘private and domestic problems’ as the reason for resignation.

A police source said job related stress, family pressure, lack of time to be with family, workload, minimum facility, low remuneration, lack of further career development and better opportunities abroad were key reasons for resignation.

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 most favoured destinations. Majority of police personnel, who directly deal with the public are low-ranking officials, but there has been increasing job dissatisfaction among them.

The study was conducted in 15 districts of all seven provinces among 4,300 head constables and constables. During the study, interviewed head constables and constables had put forth eight problems they were facing in the security body. The problems included deprivation of leave as mentioned in the police regulation, excessive work pressure, duty of up to 18 hours a day, discrimination in promotion and transfer, bad treatment and rude behaviour from high-ranking officials, denial of equal opportunity in UN Peacekeeping Mission, low ration allowance and lack of provision for providing loan by the security agency. Bearing in mind the problems expressed by the low-ranking personnel, Nepal Police has recently introduced a provision for providing subsidised home loan to head constables and constables through its welfare fund. “We have initiated the process of addressing their problems.

Increased morale of the majority personnel will be an asset to the people and nation. We are committed to minimising the trend of resignation among low-ranking personnel through redressal of their grievances,” said SSP Kadayat.

According to him, the security agency has taken the issue of increased resignation by low-ranking personnel seriously.