Dilapidated office buildings pose threat to police personnel’s lives

Bajura, January 23

Safety of police personnel deployed at various district police offices in the far-west has been compromised as the DPO buildings are old and dilapidated.

The buildings of DPOs in Bajura, Baitadi, Darchula, Bhajhang, and Doti, among others, in the region are in a precarious state.

According to Far-western Regional Police chief DIG Madhav Prasad Nepal, even the slightest tremor could destroy most of the infrastructures housing the police offices in the region.He also stressed on the difficulties that the police offices have been facing to house prisoners.

District Police Office Bajura chief DSP Shyam Prasad Poudel rued the difficulty his unit was facing to run the office. “The buildings are unreliable and do not have enough space to run our day-to-day works,” he said, adding, “As we don’t have a female cell, we are compelled to keep female prisoners with female police personnel.”

Similarly, police chief at Baitadi District Police Office DSP Mohan Pokharel said they faced a tough time during monsoon. “As the buildings are old and leaky, even a drizzle gives us a hard time,” he said.

DIG Nepal pledged to do the needful to end the plight of police personnel. “So far, nothing has happened despite my frequent reminders to the centre. But I’m committed to doing all I can in this regard,” he said. Political leaders of the region also expressed their concerns over the condition of the police offices and urged the government to construct new buildings for them.