KATHMANDU: Seeking review of its one-year-old verdict on 750-MW West Seti Hydropower Project, a petition has been filed at the Supreme Court today.

Water and Energy Users’ Federation Nepal, saying the reason of the recent order of the parliamentary Public Account Committee to the government not to renew the license of the project was not in the national interest had moved the apex court seeking the revision of the verdict.

The petitioner has asked the SC to review the earlier ruling stating that the verdict violated the apex court precedent set in the ruling of the petition of Bal Krishna Neupane vs the-then PM Girija Prasad Koirala in 1996. On September 9, 2008, the apex court had passed the ruling upholding the WSHP stating that there was no need to intervene by the apex court. Chairman of Federation of Water and Energy Consumers, Ram Chandra Chataut, had filed the petition stating that the project posed threat on the development in the area.

Stating that there was no need of approval by the parliament as the issue was not related to seeking approval as per Article 156 of the constitution of Nepal, a division bench of Justices Anup Raj Sharma and Kalyan Shrestha had issued the verdict.

The bench had stated that there was no issue of distribution of the natural resources of the nation, not requiring the House approval. The verdict gave nod to the government to continue the one billion US $ project to Snowy Mountain Engineering Corporation.

The bench observed that production of electricity did not mean to get approval of the parliament as per the Article 156.