• Junior police officers opt to go abroad after resigning as they get better opportunities there

Kathmandu, August 1

The number of personnel quitting the Armed Police Force have increased at an alarming rate in recent years mainly due job stress, family pressure, workload and better opportunities abroad, among other things.

According to statistics provided by the APF, as many as 786 personnel quit the security agency over a period of three months (mid-April to mid-July). Of them, three are inspectors, 27 are sub-inspectors, 133 assistant sub-inspectors, 465 senior head constables, 31 head constables, 22 assistant head constables, 98 constables and seven helpers.

Some of them, mostly senior head constables, resigned earlier than the normal retirement age, saying they wanted to give quality time to their family or had got better opportunity abroad as security guard.

DIG Babu Ram Pandey, APF spokesperson, said most of the personnel quit the job after being eligible to be entitled to pension.

“In every organisation, be it government or private, an employee has right to quit anytime until he/she is dismissed. Security body is as good as that and hence we take the resignation normally and it is a common issue,” he said. DIG Pandey, however, conceded that the number of personnel quitting the job had nearly doubled in the past three months and the APF would deal with it seriously.

Problems at home, low remuneration, better opportunities in foreign countries as security guards and handsome payment by UN peacekeeping missions are also the reasons cited by police personnel for quitting. “Many junior police personnel 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 to fill the vacancy continue in all state organs,” said an official, adding that the security agency was committed to doing the needful to retain employees.

A majority of junior police personnel opt to go abroad for foreign employment after resigning as they are younger than 35 years of age and 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. “It is not bad to resign and go abroad or do something else at home after resignation. This will create employment opportunity for the younger generation,” the official said.

Meanwhile, DIG Pandey informed that 210 APF personnel, including three senior officials, faced departmental action for their involvement in unethical activities, indiscipline and poor performance in the past three months. The security agency dismissed two personnel while others faced punishment likes halt in promotion and decrease in grade.