Home Ministry reduces number of officials to receive and send off VVIPs, VIPs at airport

KATHMANDU: The number of government officials present at airport to welcome or see off the VVIPs and VIPs has reduced after amendment to the VVIP and VIP Security Management Work Procedures.

The amendment to the Work Procedures was made by the Council of Ministers at the initiation of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The amendment was made four days ago.

The Ministry stated that the first amendment to the Work Procedure has come into effect in course of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's official visit to the friendly country China today.

Information Officer at the Ministry, Dil Kumar Tamang, said the numbers of officials present at the VVIP lounge of the Tribhuvan International Airport while bidding farewell or receiving the President, the Vice President and the Prime Minister when they go and return from foreign visits has decreased after the amendment of the Work Procedure.

He said the amendment has been made with the objective of making the welcome and farewell to the VVIPs well-managed and effective, and this could be observed during the Prime Minister's departure to China today.

A provision has been made, through the amendment, for the presence of 14 officials including the Vice President, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister at the airport whenever the President leaves for or returns from foreign visit. Before the amendment, there was the provision for the presence of 23 officials including the Vice President at the airport whenever the President embarked in or returned from a foreign visit.

Similarly, the number of officials having access from the VVIP lounge to the mini carcade at TIA has been reduced whenever the President leaves for foreign visit.

Before the amendment to the Work Procedure, 13 officials including the Vice President had access to the mini carcade. Now it has been reduced to nine officials having this access.

Likewise, the provision of the presence of 12 officials including the Prime Minister at the VVIP lounge to welcome or see off the Vice President whenever the VP went or returned from foreign visit has been now reduced to only seven including the PM.

In like manner, the number of officials having access from the VVIP lounge to the mini carcade at TIA has been reduced to four from seven whenever the Vice President leaves for foreign visit. This means that now only the Prime Minister, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Secretary at the Office of the Vice President and the Chief of Protocol will be present at the airport during the Vice President's official visit to and from a foreign country.

Likewise, as per the amended Work Procedure, 12 officials including the Acting Prime Minister will be present at the airport whenever the Prime Minister embarked on or returns from a foreign visit.