The government has officially approved the "Election Police Recruitment and Deployment Criteria" for the upcoming House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5.
Ananda Kafle, joint secretary and spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, confirmed on Monday that the ministry has sanctioned the guidelines and dispatched them to both security agencies—Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force (APF).
For this election purpose, the government aims to recruit a total of 149,090 temporary personnel including 133,980 Nepal Police personnel and 15,110 Armed Police personnel
Selection process
While the quotas are separate, the recruitment process will be conducted through an integrated committee.
The selection committee is led by the Chief District Officer (CDO), with the Assistant CDO serving as member-secretary. District chiefs from both Nepal Police and APF will also be members of the committee.
Aspiring candidates can submit their applications at the district offices of either security agency. After the selection process, both forces will take their respective quotas of personnel for training and deployment.
The approved criteria mandate a 10-day training period, followed by a one-month deployment during the election. Recruits will receive pay equivalent to that of a Police Constable. The package includes insurance coverage, uniform allowances, and ration allowances.
Preference will be given to former security personnel and individuals who have previously served as temporary police in past elections.
Increased security needs
The number of personnel has seen a significant jump compared to the 2022 elections, where 115,000 personnel were recruited. This increase of approximately 35,000 is attributed to the rise in voting locations and heightened security concerns.
For the upcoming polls, the Election Commission has designated 10,967 polling stations across the country—an increase of 168 stations compared to the previous election. Among these, 3,500 stations have been categorized as "highly sensitive" from a security point of view.
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