KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court has declined to issue an interim order to halt the appointment process of the Chairman of the Nepal Telecommunication Authority (NTA), allowing the government to move forward with the selection process.

Justices Sushmalata Mathema and Nahakul Subedi rejected the interim order, enabling the government to continue the appointment process for the NTA Chairman.

As outlined in the Nepal Telecommunications Act, 2053, candidates for the Chairman position must have held a first-class or higher position in the governmental or institutional hierarchy.

They (the candidates) should possess expertise and experience in the technical, administrative, market management, financial, or legal sectors related to telecommunications services.

This eligibility criterion faced objections from advocates Anant Raj Luitel, Pratibha Upreti, and Bishal Thapa, who filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, contending that it discriminates against individuals from the private sector.

Despite these objections, the Supreme Court’s decision on Monday has cleared the way for the government to proceed with the NTA Chairman selection process.