Commentary
By Pushpa Raj Pradhan
There is a controversy in Nepal that the Nepal Army, by forgetting professionalism, is involved in the profit-oriented business. A section of so-called intellectuals, who are solely sponsored by the foreign countries, believe that there is no need of the Nepal Army. There are only a total of around 95 thousand army personnel, yet, they want to cut down the number. They even undermine the Nepal Army’s role during the natural calamity. Last week, Chief of Army Staff Gen. Purnachandra Thapa, on the occasion of completion of his two years’ tenure as the Army Chief, interacted with senior journalists and replied a host of questions put forwarded by them.
Against the blame of the Nepal Army doing profit-making business rather than strengthening the organization and professionalism, Gen Thapa said that the Nepal Army is not doing any profit-oriented business. He, however, clarified that if the Army was doing business, the Generals would have enjoyed the profit but the profit made through the Nepal Army Welfare Fund is spent for the welfare of the Nepal Army personnel and retired army personnel’s welfare.
In foreign countries, the government gives many facilities and an attractive pension amount to the retired army personnel. Considering the capacity of the government, it cannot be expected from the government. Therefore, the Nepal Army, by raising fund from the NA personnel serving in the UN Peace Keeping Mission abroad, carrying out many welfare activities, CoAS Thapa informed.
“The profit achieved from the Nepal Army Welfare Fund is spent on health and education facilities”, he said.
He informed that different hospitals and schools for NA personnel and ex-armies and their family members are being run from the profit of the Welfare Fund.
There are eight hundred thousand ex-armies receiving such services from the profit of the Welfare Fund, the CoAS said.
Accordingly, on NA’s engagement on the road construction projects, he said that the Nepal Army is also an organ of the government and if the government assigns any kind of duty or work, it has to do.
In other countries also, the concerned government assigns such kind of works, he said.
Time and again, this scribe in his regular column in the People’s Review, has been asking the government to utilize the huge NA welfare fund for constructing a medium-size hydropower project, reviving the Hetauda Textile Industry and operating food supply depots all over the country by engaging ex-army personnel. When the government is talking about economic prosperity, hydropower development is essential. As the large consumer of the textile products can be the Nepal Army itself, why not the government handover the Hetauda Textile to the NA? Similarly, when the local farmers and consumers are being exploited by the brokers and middlemen, to intervene in the market, there should be a government mechanism of supplying local products in the market. As the NA is a disciplined organization, it may run such depots from its welfare fund, this scribe has been predicting.
The CoAS disclosed a sad story in the organisation that the NA personnel are eager to quit the job without completing the service tenure as they have not seen the future there and want to go to the foreign countries for labour work. It has become a challengeable job for him to retain the NA personnel in the organization.
CoAS Thapa clarified that there was no hanky-panky in the purchase of medical supplies related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Army personnel had worked hard to make success the supplies deal.
He asked the media persons to research on any possible irregularities and also on the welfare fund activities before writing against the NA.
“NA believes, if the Army will remain strong, the nation will become strong and NA can make more contribution in safeguarding the nation and its development,” the CoAS said.
Gen Thapa said that the Nepal Army is prepared to fight any type of war. There is no justification on the logic that a small-sized army cannot fight a war.
Explaining different initiatives taken by the Army in strengthening Army-media relations, army-people relations, among others, Gen Thapa also described the strategies he has developed in the organization for the development of professionalism, transparency and zero-tolerance against corruption practices.
He urged the media persons to become sensitive while reporting on issues related to the NA and national security. He urged for accuracy and verification of the report earlier to making it public.
People’s Review Print Edition
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