KATHMANDU:- The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a directive order for the implementation of right to social justice at all layers of government- federal, provincial and local.
A full text of the directive order issued by a division bench of Justices Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma and Mahesh Sharma Paudel has been released recently.
The order was however issued seven months back. The apex court has reminded the governments that it enforced citizen’s right to social justice as enshrined in Article 42 of the Constitution of Nepal.
“Adopt constant and active engagement to translate the provisions in Article 42 of the Constitution in letter and spirit,” asked the SC to all bodies under the federal, provincial and local governments. The order had come in response to a writ petition filed by Khajanti Mahto Nuniya from Phatuwa Bijaypur municipality of Rautahat district making defendants to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Minister, the Parliament Secretariat and the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration.
Article 42 of the Constitution has explicitly mentioned the rights to the marginalized communities which are socioeconomically and educationally backward. Such groups are women, Dalit, indigenous, Madhesi, Tharu, Muslim, minorities, people with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities and the oppressed ones. In order for the protection, elevation and empowerment of such communities, the State is obliged to provide education, shelter, health, foods and social securities.
They deserve special opportunities to live a dignified life, the SC underlined in the order. RSS