Retirement scheme after 16 yrs in service to APF personnel soon: Minister Lekhak

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Jan. 23: Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak has claimed that the provision for armed police personnel to retire after 16 years of service will be included in the new law of the Armed Police Force (APF) Nepal.

Speaking at the special 24th Armed Police Day at the APF Headquarters, Halchowk, in Kathmandu on Wednesday, Minister Lekhak made the announcement.

Minister Lekhak declared that in the coming days, the provision for armed police personnel (junior staffers) to retire after 16 years of service, a demand raised by the force for a long time, would be incorporated into the law.

He said that the law's draft has been prepared after considering the voices of all officers and personnel.

Since taking office as the Home Minister, he emphasised working towards making both the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force more efficient, professional, and ensuring career development through policy and legal stability.

Minister Lekhak informed that the law of the Armed Police Force of Nepal would be tabled to the parliament as a bill in the coming days.

He said, “We will register the relevant bill in the federal parliament in the coming days. The law has been drafted by incorporating the voices of all officers and personnel. The provision for retiring at 16 years, which has been raised by armed police personnel for a long time, will be included in the law. I am happy to present this on this special day in front of the entire Armed Police Force Nepal.”

On the occasion, Home Minister Lekhak informed that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who had been confirmed as the chief guest of the 24th APF Day, could not attend the special function as he suffered from cold and tonsillitis.  

During the programme, Inspector General of APF Raju Aryal, Inspector General of the Armed Police Force of Nepal, spoke about the force’s work in securing international borders. He said that the organisation has prioritised controlling smuggling and cross-border crimes, and that they have completed the maintenance and repainting of 2,308 border pillars in Nepal.

IGP Aryal also highlighted that the force has regularly been holding meetings with counterpart security agencies in border areas to maintain peaceful coordination. He stressed that border security is not only strengthened by the state's border patrols but also by winning the trust, hearts, and minds of the local residents, which would help them take responsibility for border security.

The IGP stated that the personnel of the Armed Police Force work with a sense of service, not just a job. The Armed Police Force Nepal is running programmes in border areas with the aim of winning the hearts and minds of the local population.

Meanwhile, APF on the occasion informed that the Headquarters has continued the ‘One Soldier, One Home’ programme. Under the programme, armed police personnel and officers will be able to receive loans of up to Rs. 3 million from Global IME Bank.

On the occasion of the 24th Armed Police Day, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the spokesperson of the Armed Police Force (DIG) Kumar Neupane and the Deputy Executive Director of Global IME Bank, Suman Pokhrel.

According to DIG Neupane, the agreement with Global IME Bank will provide loans ranging from Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 3 million to personnel of the Armed Police Force. 

He said, “We have introduced this scheme to discourage the trend of leaving jobs early.”

Under the agreement, personnel of the Armed Police will be able to receive loans for home construction for a period of up to 30 years. Last year, the Armed Police Force had signed an agreement with a commercial bank for loans up to Rs. 1.5 million. The agreement with the commercial bank is still ongoing, said DIG Neupane.