KATHMANDU, July 14: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who is also the president of the ruling Nepali Congress (NC), has said that the government has no plan to procure arms for Nepal Police anytime soon.
Prime Minister Deuba made the remarks while responding to the query of NC Central Working Committee(CWC) member Arjun Narasingh KC, who asked the prime minister the rationale behind the government's preparation to procure arms worth Rs 840 million even as the country's foreign currency reserves are depleting fast.
CWC member KC was referring to media reports that the government had expedited all necessary preparations to procure arms worth Rs 840 from an Italian company. KC argued that this was not the right time to procure arms for Nepal Police as an economic crisis looks imminent due to the fast-depleting foreign currency reserves.
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Responding to the query of CWC member KC during the CWC meeting on Thursday, Deuba clarified that the government had not made any plan to procure arms. "Arms won't be bought right now. There has not been any preparation to this end," he clarified.
The next meeting of the NC CWC is scheduled for Saturday.
Republica and its sister publication on July 11 had reported that the government had expedited the process to procure small arms for Nepal Police from an Italian company, Beretta, at a price four times more than the actual unit price. The government planned to buy 12-bore guns and 9-mm pistols manufactured by Beretta Company at the cost of 700 to 800 Euros each. This is about four times more than the actual price.
