Kathmandu, March 20:

A Public Interest Litigation was filed at the Supreme Court today challenging a provision of Water Resources Act 1992 and some contract signed by the government with power companies to generate electricity.

The petition challenged Clause 35 of the Water Resources Act 1992 which has given authority to the government to sign contracts with power companies by even going against the Interim Constitution of Nepal, 2007.

The petition was registered with a demand to scrap Clause 35 of the Act and to scarp the agreements with GMR Energy Limited, Haidarabad, India and Satluj Vidut Nigam, New Delhi India regarding Upper Karnali, Arun-III and Budhi Gandaki projects.

Advocate Madav Kumar Basnet, Lokdhoj Thapa and Binod Phuyal have filed the petition jointly. The advocates have claimed that the provision of the Act has given authority to the government to sign any contract for power generation without the endorsement by two third majority of Article 156 of the Constitution.

The petitioners also demanded the apex court order to the government, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Power Generation Development Department, the GMR Energy Limited, Haidarabad, India and Satluj Vidut Nigam, New Delhi. The petitioners have also demanded apex court stay order not to go ahead on the projects.