IG Kunwar may get six-month term extension

KATHMANDU: The government is set to extend the tenure of Nepal Police Inspector General (IG) Basanta Bahadur Kunwar by six months.

A senior official from the Ministry of Home Affairs revealed that the terms of IG Kunwar, Additional Inspector Generals (AIGs), Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs), and other high-ranking officials will be extended through the introduction of a new Police Act.

Under the current Act, the terms of IG Kunwar and several senior officers are set to expire on March 18 next year due to the completion of 30 years of service. However, the official disclosed that a draft of the new Act has been prepared, aiming to revise both the 30-year service limit and the age of retirement.

If enacted this year, the new Act will extend the tenure of those set to retire this year by six months, those retiring next year by one year, and eventually provide a one-and-a-half-year extension as part of its full implementation.

Should the Act pass in its current form, IG Kunwar will continue to lead until September 21, 2025. His successors will receive one-year and one-and-a-half-year extensions, respectively. The service extension will be carried out in three phases, with other service conditions also being amended.

“The draft of the new Police Act is nearly complete, and the Ministry of Finance has already given its approval,” the official said. “Certain provisions are being adjusted to favor the leadership and senior officers in the police force.”