Far-West. The number of cases filed in the court against the Far-Western Provincial Government and its subordinate bodies has increased significantly in the last three years.

According to the statistics of the Office of the Chief Attorney, Far-Western Province, there has been an increase of 78 cases in the financial year 2082/83 as compared to the previous year. In the financial year 2080/81, there were a total of 109 cases on record, including 74 cases transferred from the previous year and 35 new cases. Out of these, 46 cases were disposed of and 63 cases were pending. On the basis of total records, about 42 percent of the cases were disposed of that year.

Similarly, in the financial year 2081/82, 61 cases were transferred from the previous year and 55 new cases were added, taking the total number of cases to 116. During this period, 34 cases were disposed of while 82 cases were pending. This year, only 29 percent of the cases were settled.

In the financial year 2082/83, there were a total of 194 cases, including 82 transferred responsibilities and 112 new cases from the previous year. Out of these, 87 cases have been disposed of and 107 cases are pending. Based on the total records, about 45 percent of the cases have been settled this year. Although the disposal rate has improved significantly compared to the previous year, the number of remaining cases has also increased.

Looking at the data of the three years, it is seen that the number of new cases against the state government and its subordinate bodies is increasing continuously. In the financial year 2080/81, 35 new cases were added, 55 in 2081÷82 and 112 in 2082/83. The number of new cases has more than tripled in two years. In particular, the 112 new cases added in 2082/83 are about 58 percent of the total 194 cases in that year.

Chief Attorney Thekendra Raj Joshi said that most of the cases registered against the state government are related to the administration of the employees. He said that the number of cases filed by the employees related to promotion, participation in the Public Service Commission examination and other issues is high.

Chief Advocate Joshi said that despite the increase in cases, there is a problem in the performance of the work due to lack of resources, manpower, most of the cases are of the nature of going to the Supreme Court Kathmandu and the provincial government has not set the criteria for getting services from expert lawyers. “The Office of the Chief Attorney General has been said to be under the Office of the Attorney General, but there is no responsibility except to provide four employees. Most of the cases are to go to the Supreme Court, but there is a problem due to lack of facilities and criteria to get services from expert lawyers. However, we are working as far as we can,” he said.

On the one hand, there is a lack of staff and resources, and on the other hand, the office has become more difficult after the burning of documents, documents and physical materials during the Jenji agitation in August. The office needs about 29 employees including specialists, but at present, there are 11 vacancies including office assistants and drivers.

The Office of the Chief Attorney has been arguing, advocating and defending the writs and cases filed against the provincial government and its subordinate bodies as defendants in accordance with the Constitution and the Act relating to the functions, duties and powers and conditions of service of the Chief Attorney. The office has also been filing appeals on behalf of the state government against the orders or verdicts of the court and has also been giving necessary legal opinions to the provincial government.

Chief Attorney Joshi stressed on the need to make the office well-equipped as the Supreme Court, the High Court Patan, the High Court Dipayal, the High Court in Doti, the Mahendranagar bench and the nine district courts of the province have to file appeals at the Supreme Court.

In the meantime, the High Court, Dipayal and Mahendranagar benches have made arrangements for online hearing and pleading through the use of information technology.