Kathmandu, March 7

The Supreme Court today issued a show-cause notice to the government regarding deaths of Nepali migrant workers abroad and ordered formation of an appropriate mechanism to address the issue.

The apex court issued the notice responding to a public interest litigation filed by Law and Policy Forum for Social Justice and Pourakhi Nepal on December 27.

The petitioner has demanded that the government identify the cause of deaths of Nepali migrant workers, and provide orientation training and pre-departure health check-up for workers to reduce deaths of migrant workers abroad.

The Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Department of Foreign Employment and Foreign Employment Promotion Board have been named as defendants, among others.

A single bench of Justice Deepak Raj Joshi issued the notice seeking reasons behind lack of proper policy to repatriate dead bodies irrespective of legal status, lack of proper facility at international airports for handling the body, waiting area for families and other logistic arrangements.

Former attorney general Hari Phuyal, advocates Milan Rai, Kedar Dahal, Barun Ghimire and Anurag Devkota pleaded on behalf of the petitioners at the Supreme Court in today’s preliminary hearing.