Pokhara, February 3:

With effect from tomorrow, personnel of the civil police and Armed Police Force will provide security to the officials responsible for conducting the elections in Pokhara sub-metropolitan city and Lekhnath municipality till the polling day (February 8), chief election officer and chief district officer, Madhavraj Regmi, told this daily today, adding that Royal Nepal Army personnel will also be called to provide security to the officials if need be.

“Arrangements for the deployment of security personnel will be made after holding consultations with security personnel and employees,” Regmi said. Security arrangements have been made to make their visits to the polling booths toll-free, Regmi said. “The officials might be kept under security cordons.”

“The employees may also be kept in the army barracks if they feel insecure,” the Pokhara-based western divisional headquarters of the RNA said.

Security personnel will escort the officials to the polling booths and back for four days. While 179 employees have been deputed to 24 polling booths of 15 wards in the Lekhnath municipality, 411 employees have been deputed in the 54 polling booths in 18 wards of the Pokhara sub-metropolitan city, assistant election officer of the District Election Office, Ghanashyam Bhandari, said.