KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court (SC) has directed the Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal, Shankar Das Bairagi, to furnish a written response within seven days on a case relating to contempt of court for his failure to implement the court’s decision on the restriction of plastic bags.

A single bench of Justice Kumar Regmi made such order directing Bairagi to submit the written response within seven days by appearing in the court himself or through his representative as per the law.

In the annual budget of the fiscal year 2078/079 BS, the government had put a provision to restrict the plastic bags stating “In order to reduce the environmental pollution caused by plastics; the production, import, sales, and distribution, as well as use of plastics with less than 40 microns thickness, has been completely banned from the upcoming mid-July.”

Likewise, the SC had issued a mandamus order in the name of the government to fully impose a ban on the production, import, sales, and distribution as well as use of plastics less than 40 microns thickness beginning 16 July 2021.

Advocate Padam Bahadur Shrestha had filed a case at the SC naming the Chief Secretary as the defendant for failing to implement the mandamus order.

Hearing on the case, the SC has directed the Chief Secretary to appear at the SC within a week.