Kathmandu: Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal has announced that the country is advancing towards elections, emphasizing that the law and order situation has returned to normalcy.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Home Minister Aryal outlined the major achievements since he assumed the home ministry portfolio a month ago. Among these were the initiatives for supporting bereaved families, managing and rehabilitating those injured in the Gen-Z protests, and reconstructing damaged infrastructure.
Minister Aryal highlighted significant progress in public service delivery, governance, disaster preparedness and response, as well as relief and rehabilitation efforts. He noted that security agencies and stakeholders have been proactive in maintaining law and order amid previously deteriorating security conditions.
In efforts to honor those killed in the Gen-Z protests, Aryal mentioned that the government has collected details of 76 individuals through district administration offices. Additionally, a Gen-Z support unit and facilitation secretariat has been established at the ministry to address youth grievances.
A technical committee was also formed to assess the losses and damages to public and private properties during the Gen-Z protests. Of the 452 police posts damaged, 401 have been reconstructed with the help of Nepal Police and local communities; the rest are undergoing reconstruction.
Moreover, the ministry reported the arrest of 161 individuals convicted of various charges, and the seizure of weapons and magazines. Minister Aryal stated that 594 weapons lost or looted during the protests have been recovered, and efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining ones.
He also mentioned the preparation of the draft for the Nepal Citizenship Regulation (Fourth Amendment) and the activation of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) to tackle financial crimes under political protection.
To secure the upcoming elections scheduled for March 5, an integrated election security planning taskforce has been formed, coordinated by the Chief of Security Coordination Division of the ministry.