By Purushottam P. Khatri

Kathmandu, Jan. 16: Following the government’s decision to relocate Nepal Police Academy (NPA) from Maharajgunj to Panauti of Kavrepalanchowk district, a process to construct temporary infrastructure and training centre has begun.
“The Academy has begun constructing prefab structures in Panauti after concluding tender bidding processes,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) at Nepal Police Academy Mukunda Acharya told The Rising Nepal on Wednesday.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on November 25, 2014 between the government of Nepal and India to construct the academy at the cost of Rs 8.8 billion.
Though the foundation stone for the construction of the Academy was laid, the project failed to make any headway due to contentious provisions in the MoU. 
The government in the current fiscal year allocated around Rs. 250 million for the construction of temporary infrastructure of the academy.
SSP Acharya said that the Academy had already begun works in the field. Under the contract agreement, construction companies would construct prefab barracks, offices and training hall and administrative offices.
At present, the Academy is preparing to begin the fourth phase package of the works there after awarding the tender bid to Arati and Company. The company has been handling the fourth phase of construction at Rs. 50.9 million.
Also, the Academy had awarded Kshamadevi Construction Solution Pvt. Ltd to begin the two phases of construction works. For this, the Academy has awarded a contract worth Rs. 138.2 million to the company, according to a tender notice published by the Academy in its website.
These two companies had to complete all the construction works in 18 months from the contract singing date.
Arati and Company and Kshamadevi Construction were given deadline to complete the project by June 16, 2020. Another project’s deadline to Kshamadevi Construction was given up to May 21, 2020.
Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General and spokesperson of Nepal Police Shailesh Thapa Kshetri said that to relocate the Academy, various infrastructure facilities of various natures were being constructed in Panauti.
“We have been thinking of beginning the training and other administrative works as soon as the construction of the temporary infrastructure completes,” DIG Kshetri said.
The Police Headquarters concluded to construct the temporary infrastructures and start training session there when no specific

progress was made to implement the MoU signed in 2014 between Nepal and India.
The Maharajgunj-based Academy covers a land area of 236 ropanis, which is considered as the birth place of Nepal Police. At present, the office of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) is also inside it.
In Panauti, the Academy will spread in more than 42.4 hectares of land. The government had pooled the land of the area in 1995 for the purpose of constructing the Academy in Panauti.
According to SSP Acharya, it was not yet confirmed about exact number of infrastructures to be set up in Panauti.
After relocating the present Academy to Panauti, the present space of Maharjgunj will be used for President House, Shital Niwas.
Agreement to construct the Police Academy was signed in 2014 when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Kathmandu to attend the 18th SAARC Summit.
During the time, India had agreed to provide Rs. 8.8 billion and under the first phase of the assistance package, the Indian side had provided Rs. 2.30 billion to Nepal.