Jul 08, Kathmandu - The Supreme Court is hearing a case on Tuesday claiming that the appointment of Dr. Bishwanath Poudel as the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank is illegal.

The case, which has not been heard for the fifth time and has been postponed, was heard by Justices Kumar Regmi and Mahesh Sharma Poudel on Tuesday.

It is said that more than two dozen legal practitioners will argue on behalf of the writ petitioner and Governor Dr. Poudel.

In a writ petition filed against Dr. Poudel, who was appointed as the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank on 6th Jestha, by advocates Anantaraj Luintel, Pratibha Upreti, and Bishal Thapa, among others, it has been demanded that the appointment be cancelled as he does not have the educational qualifications required by the Act.

However, Governor Poudel has already submitted a written response claiming that he has a higher educational degree than that prescribed by the Act and that the educational degree made mandatory by the Act is not required for the Governor.

Although Section 15 of the Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 2058 BS, makes a postgraduate degree in economics, monetary, commerce, banking and finance mandatory, Poudel has claimed that since he has a higher degree than that, it is not mandatory for the appointment of Governor.

Poudel also stated that his appointment as governor was in accordance with the law as he had served as the Vice-Chairman of the Planning Commission, worked at the International Labor Organization and was a professor of economics.

A single bench of Supreme Court Justice Abdul Aziz Musalman had ordered the opposition parties, including the Government of Nepal, to appear with evidence to substantiate the basis for the appointment of the governor after the preliminary hearing on 14th Jestha.