KATHMANDU: The Nepal Police Headquarters has directed the Valley, Province, and Subordinate District Police Offices to prepare a special security plan for the festive season with a focus on COVID-19.

According to Police Spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police Kuber Kadayat, some districts have already prepared security plans, while others are engaged in final preparations.

He stated that the festival-centric security plan would be formally implemented in a few days.

“The law enforcement is always ready with a security plan, but during the festive season, there is a need to increase patrols, add security posts and pay special attention to checkpoints,” he said, “We need to taken coronavirus crisis into account while reading the security plan this time.”

 He informed that the Inspector General of Police had instructed the province chief and the chief of the metropolitan police offices to formulate the necessary strategy through a virtual meeting.

The district offices have also been asked to plan accordingly.

How the people can be prevented from the growing spread of coronavirus in 77 districts is also equal focus this time.

Police persons would be mobilized in plainclothes as part of the implementation of the special security plan.

Meanwhile, police chiefs in the Kathmandu Valley have planned to make a joint security plan. The Metropolitan Police Office, Ranipokhari, shared the information to this end. Chief of Metropolitan Police Office, DIG Bishworaj Pokhrel, said chiefs of all three district police offices in the valley were asked to submit the security plan. “The plan stresses peace and security considering the festival and measures to contain the spread of coronavirus,” he added.

According to him, new plans will enhance the morale of police, ignoring all kinds of wrong influence against ethics and public expectations.

Police are coming with special programs not to let any kind of untoward incidents during the festival, he added. Pokhrel also shared that the police personnel will get meals in the respective police office as they will not be allowed to go homes for a meal due to pandemics.

Similarly, SSP Shyam Lal Gyawali shared that an integrated security plan was being prepared to implement in the Kathmandu valley districts.

He also shared that the trained dogs and drones were the additional features of the integrated security plans this year.

Similarly, Traffic Police Chief SSP Bhim Prasad Dhakal informed that the traffic police were mobilized to manage the traffics and conduct emergency check-in at necessary places as in ticket counters of bus parks. Some of the wrongdoers are being brought to justice, he added.