Kathmandu, January 25:

A writ petition was filed at the Supreme Court today challenging the Voluntary Declaration of Income Source (VDIS) scheme introduced by the government to give clean chit to those who have accumulated property through illegal means.

Stating that the scheme has been introduced to legalise illegally accumulated money, the petitioner sought the apex court intervention to direct the government authorities to take action against the persons involved in such acts.

Advocate Kamalesh Dwivedi filed the petition, claiming that the scheme — introduced as per the Tax Collection Ordinance issued by the government on September 19 — gave corrupt persons an opportunity to legalise their illegally earned money. The petitioner also stated that the scheme was nothing but a faulty legislation introduced with bad intention and that it could not be implemented.

The Prime Minister’s Office and Cabinet, the parliament, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Constituent Assembly Affairs, the Ministry of Finance and the Speaker of the legislative session of the Constituent Assembly have been made defendants.

.As per the scheme, a person who pays tax need not show his income source and that he will not be subjected to any punishment regarding his income after the declaration. By not taking action against the persons amassing money through illegal means, the government is shying away from its duties, the petitioner alleged.

Stating that the scheme is against the Timely Tax Collection Act, 2012 BS, and against Articles 84, 85, 87 and 89 of the Interim Constitution , the petitioner sought the SC order to bring the culprits to book.

The initial hearing on

the petition will be held

tomorrow.