KATHMANDU, June 13: The Supreme Court has refused to register the application filed by the government to vacate the court's earlier order against increasing the number of local units in various 19 Tarai districts.
Supreme Court Registrar Nripadhwaj Niraula officially rejected the application arguing that an interim order has already been issued by a division bench after hearing both the sides of the initial writ petition.
A division bench of justices Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada and Sapana Pradhan Malla on May 26 had stayed the government's decision to increase additional local units. The government had increased the number of local units to appease the agitating Madhes-based political parties.
The agitating parties have been demanding that the number of local units in tarai districts be increased on the basis of population. The government on June 5 had filed an application to vacate the interim order to bring the agitating Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJP) on board the election process.
The apex court, citing Article 295 (C) of the constitution, had ruled that fixing the number of local units falls under the jurisdiction of the Constitutional Commission, but not the government.
A panel formed by Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government with Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar as coordinator had recommended adding 22 local units to the existing 744. A cabinet meeting had then decided to increase the number of local units as per the recommendation of the Gachchhadar-led panel.