Kathmandu, August 10
Nepal’s Supreme Court has vacated an interim order against the government’s controversial decision to increase the number of civic bodies in Madhesh just a few weeks ahead of local elections.
A bench of Justice Purushottam Bhandari and Chief Justice Gopal Parajuli quashed a writ filed by advocates Dhan Bahadur Shrestha and Krishna Chandra Jha demanding that the court revoke the government decision.
A bench of Justices Sapna Pradhan Malla and Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada had earlier issued an interim order to the government to not to increase the number of civic bodies in the plains.
The Prachanda government had decided to add 23 civic bodies in 23 districts of Madhesh, two Metropolis in the South and upgrade 24 rural municipalities to municipalities. As elections have already been conducted in Province 5, the government won’t be able to make changes to local governments there.
However, the new court order makes it possible for the government to make changes to the number of local government units in Province 2, where elections are scheduled in September.
