Show cause notices in two PIL cases

Kathmandu Dec 24- The Supreme Court on friday issued in two different PIL cases ,show cause notices.

First show cause notice to the government authorities asking them why the government is not strictly implementing the Land Relating Act 2001 and its fifth amendment 2058 BS.

single bench of justice Paramananda Jha issued the order responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocates Bharatmani Gautam and Thagendra Shrestha, seeking its order to the government to strictly implement the land ceiling and distribute land to the landless people by seizing land from the land lords whose land holding crosses the ceiling.

The bench ordered the Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet, the Ministry of Land Reform and Management, the Department of Land Reform and Land Reform Offices of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur Districts to submit their explanations within 15 days.

The advocate-duo filed the PIL representing the an NGO Rule of Law Protection Society and has sought the apex court’s order to the authorities to redistribute land to the ex-Kamaiyas, landless people, Dalit and indigenous people by implementing the Act.

Same as The Supreme Court issued another show cause notices to the government authorities, including the Office of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, the Ministry of Environment and Population and the Ministry of Agriculture, to explain within 15 days as to why they were dumping pesticide in a haphazard manner.

A group of NGOs working in the environment sector, including the Pro Public and Pesticide Victims’ Association, in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed at the court a few days ago, demanded that the court direct the authorities either to send the pesticide back to the country from where it had been imported or call on the government to dump it safely.

According to the petitioners, 75 tons of pesticide has been haphazardly dumped in the country.Fifty tons of pesticide was dumped in Amlekhgung depot near the Nepal Secondary School in Bara district, the petitioners said, adding that the dump had exposed the students to health risk.

The government has been haphazardly dumping pesticide in 24 depots in Khumaltar, Biratnagar, Hetaunda, Lumle, Birjung, Janakpur, Surkhet and Banke. A study conducted by the Ministry of Environment and Population had stated that harmful chemicals dumped in these were threatening the environment and causing health hazards to the locals.

The umbrella organisation of the insect repellent producer companies, Crop Life International, had told the government through its ambassador to Belgium, Kedar Bhakta Shrestha, that it is ready to take back the pesticide, but there was no word from the government.