KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court of Nepal has ordered the government not to take the plane fare from the citizens being rescued to Nepal from abroad to skip the COVID-19 pandemic.

Issuing an interim order on Monday, the Supreme Court has asked not to take any plane fare from the people returning home after being rescued from abroad.

The bench of Justice Anand Mohan Bhattarai and Justice Hari Prasad Phuyal has ordered the government to use the public fund for the rescue of Nepali nationals stranded in many countries.

After the government disclosed its plan to take flight charges from the citizens willing to return homeland and made the cost public, 4 persons including Advocate Som Prasad Luintel had filed the case demanding justice for such stranded people.

The SC order has asked the government to use the sum collected in the ‘Foreign Employment Welfare Fund’ which includes the contribution of such people working outside.

“As it is the responsibility of the state to rescue the citizens forced to return home country prior to the contract of destination country’s work permit is matured, or the people who are not provided the plane cost by the destination country or employers or the citizens who are unable to return home as they don’t have any money to return home and are referred by the diplomatic missions like the ones to be rescued they should be brought home by the state,” the SC order says.