Hearing on water dispute and Media Ordinance deferred

Kathmandu, March 31-The Supreme Court on thrusday said it will examine the dispute between the locals and a drinking water supply company later. The locals of Ichagunarayan attended the apex court demanding that it issue a stay order against the local water supply company.

A division bench of justices Dilip Kumar Paudel and Top Bahadur Magar said the case will be heard along with the appeal filed by the company, Inchangu Drinking Water, Food and Beverage Pvt Ltd, in the Supreme Court.

The dispute is pending at the Supreme Court after the Patan Appellate Court failed to settle it. Both the parties have approached the apex court.

The locals claim that the company has violated their rights to get drinking water from Panchdhara, the local water source. Stating that it has been operating after acquiring a licence from the government, the company says it also has the right to supply drinking water to its customers.

Same as,The Supreme Court did not conduct a hearing on a Public Interest Litigation, which was filed seeking judicial review on the controversial Media Ordinace, though it had promised to conduct a hearing on the case .

Six months ago, a number of professional organisations and advocates had moved the apex court against the ordinance, which was promulgated to control the media.

Though the Supreme Court had said it will hold a hearing on the litigation, it did not schedule a hearing on the public interest litigationon thrusday.The Media Ordinance will be ineffective from April 4. The Supreme Court had declined to issue a stay order on the case.

“Though the case was on the priority list of the Supreme Court, it did not schedule the case for hearing on thrusday,” said advocate Ravi Raj Bhandari, one of the writ petitioners who had challenged the Media Ordinance.

The Supreme Court, however, had allowed FM radio stations to air news though the ordinance had barred them from doing the same.