Challenging the central government’s move to merge the Sagarnath Forest Development Project with the Timber Corporation of Nepal, the Province 2 government on Thursday filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court. It has charged the central government with violating the jurisdiction of the provincial government.

The Provincial Ministry of Industry, Forest, Environment, and Tourism filed the petition at the apex court demanding an order dismissing the request for a merger.

This is arguably the first case filed at the judicial body challenging the jurisdiction exercised by the central government after the country adopted federalism with the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015.

A cabinet meeting of the provincial government on March 8 had decided to bring the Forest Development Project—which covers 13,132 hectares of land in Sarlahi, Mahottari and Rautahat districts—under the provincial government. The provincial executive claimed that it had informed the federal government about its decision.

However, the Office of the Prime Minister made a decision on June 6 to merge Forest Project with the Timber Corporation. Forest Minister of Province 2 Ramnaresh Raya claimed that this move from the Prime Minister’s Office was interference in the jurisdiction of the Province 2 government.

Bechan Mahato, an employee at the Provincial Ministry of Industry, Forest, Environment, and Tourism, filed the petition on behalf of the ministry.

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