With over 11,000 vacant posts in Nepal Police, including of high-ranking officials, a question is being raised whether the law enforcement agency can carry out their work effectively.

According to Nepal Police headquarters, altogether 11,251 positions are vacant in the force. Three of these vacancies are for the post of additional inspector general, nineteen for the deputy inspector general, nine for the senior superintendent, six for superintendent and thirty-three for deputy superintendent.

Deputy Inspector General Shailesh Thapa, also the spokesperson for Nepal Police, said the vacancies in senior positions have not hindered the operation and works of police, as the low-ranking officers are the ones who go to the field and enforce law and order. 

“The impact of vacancies has been seen when it comes to making rules and regulations. High-ranking officers are required in many departments,” Kshetri told the Post.

“To fill the vacancies, we promote junior officers after evaluating their performance,” Thapa added. 

Although the number of vacancies remains the same, Thapa says promotion motivates the low ranking officers and creates an opportunity for others to join the police force.

To fill the vacancies, Nepal Police on January 19 announced a vacancy notice for 149 inspector and 584 assistant sub-inspector jobs. The application deadline closed on February 23

According to the police headquarters, around 15,000 people applied for the jobs

Many senior-ranking police officers believe that the reason behind the high number of vacancies in the force is due to the rise in the number of officers resigning from the service.

Dissatisfaction over being passed over for promotion, low remuneration, job stress, family pressure and abroad jobs are the reasons for resignation, according to Kshetri.

In the past two-and-a-half years, 6,577 officers, including three deputy inspectors general, three superintendents and ten deputy superintendents, quit the service, a Nepal Police data show. 

In the 2017-18 fiscal year, a total of 2,564 police personnel left the job. That number rose to 3,073 in 2018-19. This year, in the first five months of the running fiscal year, 940 personnel have quit the force.