The Home Ministry on Tuesday recommended four deputy inspector generals for promotion to additional inspector generals of Nepal Police.

With the decision, Nepal Police will have a record 16 AIGs. The DIGs named for promotion are Hemanta Pal, Madhu Pudasaini, Madhav Prasad Nepal and Pankaj Shrestha. In August, the government promoted 11 DIGs.

With an AIG in the Nepal Police Hospital from the technical group, there are 12 AIGs with the force at present. It is learnt that the candidates had been influencing Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who also looks after the Home portfolio, on increasing the AIG positions.

After rumours that then home minister Janardan Sharma was planning to create additional AIG positions, he had stepped back due to fierce criticism.

A letter signed by Inspector General of Police Prakash Aryal, in his capacity as the member secretary of the promotion committee, said the decision was taken on Tuesday. The committee is led by the home secretary with members including a secretary from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Apart from increasing the burden on the exchequer, the additional number of AIGs is likely to create conflict among top officials over their assignments. Former DIG Hemanta Malla Thakuri said it is essential to conduct an organisation and management survey before creating any new position. There was no such survey before promotion, clearly violating the Nepal Police Regulations-2014.