Patan High Court upholds decision against NTA chairman appointment process

KATHMANDU: In a recent development, the Patan High Court has upheld the interim order rejecting the process of appointing the chairman of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA). Ramdev Yadav, who raised legal objections to the chairman’s appointment, filed a writ petition seeking the issuance of an interim order.

The writ petitioner, Yadav, named the NTA chairman as the respondent. Following discussions on Thursday, a joint bench comprising Justices Rishiram Dawadi and Purushottam Prasad Dhakal of the High Court maintained the rejection of the interim order.

The controversy surrounds the Cabinet meeting on February 18, which appointed Bhupendra Bhandari as the chairman of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority. Yadav’s legal challenge raised questions about the adherence to the law in the appointment process.

In response to the court’s decision, Bhandari expressed his readiness to expedite NTA’s initiatives based on his recent commitment. He assured that addressing various issues related to the telecommunication sector in Nepal is a priority.

Bhandari’s appointment and the subsequent legal dispute have brought attention to the intricacies of the regulatory body’s leadership, emphasizing the importance of transparent and lawful appointment processes in government agencies.