Bajura, January 30

Police personnel stationed in remote Kabadi Bazaar, which borders Bajura and Humla districts, have been receiving unequal pay as compared to their counterparts deployed in other areas of the far-western region.

As Kabada River separates Bajura and Humla districts, the bazaar located in both the districts has been named after the river. To the north of the river, Kabadi Bazaar lies in Bajura’s Bichhya VDC while to the river’s west, Kabadi Bazaar lies in Maila VDC of Humla. Though the distance between the two bazaars is just two minutes, they have two different police posts — Bichhya Police Post and Maila Police Post.

While cops stationed at Maila Police Post draw Rs 21,300, including 18,000 for ration and Rs 3,300 for allowance, cops deployed at Bichhya receive Rs 7,280 for ration and 2,400 as allowance.

“Through we are colleagues, our pay and facilities are discriminatory,” said head constable Prakash Bahadur Singh of Bichhya Police Post.

ASI Rana Bahadur Chand at Maila Police Post said a police personnel working at Maila was receiving Rs 11,620 more than those stationed at Bichhya Police Post. “The river has divided us. It does not even take two minutes to reach the other side. However, police personnel on our side are receiving less salary,” ASI Chand said.

Bichhya police post is three days’ walk from Bajura headquarters Martadi while Humla’s Maila Police Post is a four-day walk from Humla headquarters Simikot. These two places are the remotest places of both the districts.

Police personnel in Bajura complained that their salary was not enough to even buy food as the prices of daily essentials, including rice, vegetable and cooking oil, was very high in Kabadi Bazaar.

Bajura DSP Shyam Prasad Paudel said their salary could not be equal as the government allotted salary on the basis of the district of deployment.

Meanwhile, it has been found that the police personnel stationed in the headquarters and remote parts receive the same amount.

DIGP Madhav Prasad Nepal of Far Western Regional Police Office conceded that there was inequality in facilities being provided to police personnel and his frequent pleas for equal salary had fallen on deaf ears.