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An election-focused training program for police personnel deployed for security of the March 5 elections to the House of Representatives has started at the Police Headquarters from Wednesday.

The training has been provided to police personnel deployed for election security as per the Integrated Security Plan for the House of Representatives members' election.

Under the first phase, a total of 4,148 personnel ranging from senior sub-inspectors to police office assistants working at the Nepal Police Headquarters, bureaus and Nepal Police Hospital Maharajgunj, are to be trained in different phases for 10 days, according to the Central Police News Room.

Similarly, election-targeted training will be conducted for police personnel deployed for election security through the election cell formed in all district police offices.

The training will cover election security, introduction, role of police in elections, security management, election security and the roles or conditions that the police should adopt in security arrangements, areas that need to be secured in election work, problems that may arise in elections, expectations of the services that various individuals will receive from the police and the responsibilities of the police in elections. 

In addition, issues to be considered while constructing polling stations, conduct to be followed by security agencies, security personnel and security-related employees under the Election Code of Conduct, 2082, election management policy on the use of social media, 2077, the Police Act, 2012 and the Police Regulations, 2071, and other election-related topics (provisions related to crimes and punishments) will feature in the training.

The Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection has directed producers, importers and distributors to stop the sudden and unjustified price hike seen in daily consumer goods in the market.

Issuing a press statement on Wednesday, the Department has directed all concerned to control unnecessary price hikes in the market and maintain a competitive and fair market system. 

“The major producers, importers and distributors of food grains and oil are instructed to provide their goods or services without taking unfair profits and to provide relief to consumers by addressing the unnatural price hike,” the statement reads. .

The Department said its serious attention has been drawn to the complaints received from the consumers and reports in the media regarding the unnatural price hike and shortage in supply of daily necessities including edible oil, cooking gas, staple rice, etc.

The right of consumers to receive quality goods and services in accordance with the Consumer Protection Act, 2075 BS and the Consumer Protection Regulations, 2076 BS shall be ensured by adopting all measures as required. 

For this, joint market monitoring is being carried out to check on the producers, sellers, importers, stockpilers, and service provider firms and establishments of essential and daily consumable goods in the country.

The Election Commission has introduced the 'Election Campaign Bank Account Operation and Management Procedures, 2082' to bring transparency in the expenses made by political parties and candidates contesting the elections. 

Accordingly, the campaign expenses of political parties and candidates during the general election have to be linked to the banking system.

The procedure has been enforced in accordance with Sections 24 and 50 of the Election Commission Act, 2073, Section 16 of the Election Code of Conduct, 2082, and the directive issued by Nepal Rastra Bank, the central bank regulator.

According to the Commission, all political parties registered with the Commission and standing for the proportional representation (PR) and first past the post (FPTP) electoral system, candidates representing those parties and independent candidates will have to make all financial support and donations received and spent for campaigning through this special bank account. 

The arrangement has been made to discourage cash-based transactions and keep clear records of all income and expenses.

According to the procedure, political parties are required to obtain a recommendation from the Election Commission Secretariat to open a bank account for election campaigning, while in the case of candidates, a recommendation is required from the election office of the concerned district. 

Accounts can be opened in designated banks and financial institutions only on the basis of the recommendation. 

Provisions related to account operation, transaction limits, process for submitting details and monitoring have also been included in the procedure.

The Commission believes that transactions through the banking system will facilitate identification of sources, tracking of expenses and subsequent audits.

The Election Commission (EC) has issued the bank accounts operation and management work procedure, 2082, urging the political parties and candidates participating in the March 5 House of Representatives (HoR) elections to make expenses for electoral poll publicity through bank accounts. 

In a statement today, EC spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai called for the parties and candidates to make income and expenditure for election publicity by opening and operating bank accounts as per the procedure approved by the EC's meeting on Tuesday. 

The work procedure has been uploaded in the official website of the commission, it is informed. 

Necessary directive to this effect has been issued to the licensed banks and financial institutions with A, B and C categories, the statement reads. 

The EC has drawn attention of the political parties and candidates to operate election publicity bank accounts as per the Clause 50 of the Election Commission Act, 2073 to ensure routing publicity expenses to the banking system.