KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a short-term interim order on the Kathmandu-Terai Madhes Fast Track project and urged the authorities to retain the project in status quo till another verdict.

Hearing on the writ filed by Afcons Infrastructure Limited, India the SC asked to retain the status quo of the project.

The Indian company had filed the writ after Nepal Army awarded the contract of the sixth package of the Kathmandu-Terai Madhes Expressway to the Chinese company which had witnessed the technical proposal rejected earlier.

After not getting the contract, the Indian company Afcons Infrastructure Limited had gone to the Supreme Court.

Hearing on the same writ and the SC called both parties for an interim order on December 23.

Senior advocates Sunil Kumar Pokharel, Shivprasad Rizal, Yogendra Bahadur Bhandari and advocates Ramchandra Poudel and Prapusa KC argued on behalf of the Indian company on Wednesday.

The hearing was held in the single bench of Justice Tank Bahadur Moktan.

In Wednesday’s order, the Supreme Court has asked the opposition Kathmandu Tarai/Madhesh Fast Track (Expressway) Road Authority,  Nepal Army Headquarters Bhadrakali to appear with written answers as to why the order should not be issued as per the demand of the petitioner.

The Army had called for a global tender for package 6 of the fast track. The Chinese company that got the contract was initially rejected by the Nepali Army on technical grounds.