The government has said there is no immediate plan to mobilise the Army in the Tarai which has remained tense for the last four months.

It, however, maintains that is the duty of the national defence force to contain violence if it could not be handled by Nepal Police or the Armed Police Force.

Answering queries of lawmakers in a meeting of the parliamentary State Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Bhim

Rawal said the government did not believe the Army needs to be mobilised immediately in the plains.

The Nepal Army has only been safeguarding vital installations in Tarai districts and the police were able to maintain law and order, he added.

“However, it should not be forgotten that it’s the duty of the Army to get on the field as envisioned in Article 267 of the Constitution of Nepal in case of a serious security threat,” Rawal said. The Article states that the Army can be mobilised on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council if there is a national security threat.

The defence minister was responding to the queries of lawmakers Amresh Singh, Lal Babu Raut and Hari Charan Sah, who had demanded clarification on the rumour that the government was mulling over Army mobilisation.

Rawal also claimed in the meeting that Nepal’s Army is “the most inclusive in the world”, stressing that no national defence force elsewhere had reservations for particular communities. The NA currently reserves 45 percent seats for women, Dalits, Madhesis, Janajatis and other marginalised communities in new recruits.

The House Committee had summoned the defence minister and the Army chief for

the briefing. Chief of Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri said the Army was facing problems even in training in the lack of adequate arms and ammunition.

Chhetri said that around 45 percent weapons in the NA arsenal were outdated as

no import had been made since the Comprehensive Peace Accord of 2005.  The Army has sought Rs8.65 billion to procure arms, ammunition and explosives.

The NA also said it needs around Rs20 billion to prepare itself for efficient disaster management and Rs4.83 billion for the reconstruction of its headquarters and barracks that were destroyed in the earthquake. As many as 1,109 buildings and other military structures were damaged in the April-May quakes.