Spl security plan in 7 Valley stations

KATHMANDU, NOV 17 -

The government has made special security arrangements in seven polling stations in Kathmandu and Lalitpur districts considering their inaccessibility.

One polling station in Kathmandu, based in Tarebhir Primary School of Boudha, and six in Lalitpur do not have access to roads. Each of these polling station have only one polling centre.

The polling stations in Lalitpur inaccessibly by roads are Janak Secondary School of Gimdi-1, Suwani Primary School of Gimdi-9, VDC office of Thula Durlum-4, Bhagwati Primary School of Durlum-1, Asang-1 and Kalisuti of Chaughare-5.

The government has also categorised 58 polling stations of Kathmandu as sensitive followed by 31 in Lalitpur and 33 in Bhaktapur. Kathmandu has 311 polling stations with 634,568 voters, while Lalitpur has 127 polling stations with 240,023 voters. There are 75 polling stations in Bhaktapur with 164,571 voters.

The government has mobilised at least five police personnel in each polling centre. Armed Police Force personnel will also be deployed a day before the election . Soldiers will also be available in the areas to support police if need be.

The APF has made all preparations to send a platoon with around 35 personnel headed by either inspector or sub-inspector to these areas, said its spokesperson DIG Singha Bahadur Shrestha.

We are coordinating with the APF and the Nepal Army will serve as a backup force as needed in these remote areas, said  Basanta Gautam, chief district officer of Kathmandu.

Meanwhile, the Kathmandu and the Lalitpur District Administration Offices have classified four polling centres in the valley as most sensitive. A polling station at Kapan in Kathmandu-4 has been named as most sensitive. Spokesperson of Metropolitan Police Commissioners Office SSP Hemanta Pal said 19 police personnel will be deployed in the eight polling centres of this constituency.

Similarly, three polling stations in Lalitpur-3 have been categorised as most sensitive polling stations in the district. A polling station based in Bhaisipati and another based in Nepal Rastriya Bhutpurwa Sainik Sangh fall under the most sensitive category. Each of polling station in the district has six polling centres that will be guarded by 17 security personnel.

A total of 2,407 Nepal Police personnel and 2,285 temporary police will be deployed in the Capital, along with 890 Army personnel and 890 APF personnel.