Pokhara, 28 November| Concerned authorities have begun the necessary procedures to finalize the number of polling centers and temporary (Myadi) police for the upcoming House of Representatives election scheduled for February 21. Due to a higher-than-anticipated increase in new voters, the projected number of Myadi police, which was initially estimated at 132,000 in the Integrated Election Security Plan, is now expected to increase, prompting relevant bodies to intensify preparations.
Ananda Kafle, Joint Secretary and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, stated that the Nepal Police would initiate the Myadi police recruitment process as part of the security plan implementation. He confirmed that the final number of Myadi police might increase, based on the assessment of the new voter count. Abinarayan Kafle, Central Spokesperson and Additional Inspector General of Police for the Nepal Police, mentioned that once the Election Commission finalizes the polling centers, the recruitment process for Myadi police will promptly begin through the District Security Committee, based on security sensitivity. He added that the Integrated Security Plan and the criteria for Myadi police selection have been disseminated to the provincial and district levels, ensuring the exact manpower requirements will be clear based on the additional polling centers.
Myadi police personnel, who will be deployed for a total of 40 days during the election period, will receive basic salary, clothing allowance, and travel expenses equivalent to those of a Nepal Police Constable. The Central Police Spokesperson further informed that the Nepal Police is preparing to mobilize over 71,000 police personnel for the election. The Central Security Committee has formulated a three-phase security plan: pre-election, during the election, and post-election. The deployment of the Nepali Army was approved by the President on Thursday following a recommendation from the Federal Government. Security arrangements will involve a three-tiered cordon, with the Nepal Police forming the first perimeter, the Armed Police Force the second, and the Army the third, while Myadi police will assist the Nepal Police in maintaining order. The total number of voters has reached 18,168,023 following the addition of new voters through biometrics (344,914) and National Identity Card (492,180) during the voter registration drive concluded on November 21.
