Government says ending mandatory tender notices in private media does not curb press freedom
Summary
The government has told the Supreme Court that ending the requirement to publish tender notices in private media does not violate press freedom or freedom of expression. Lawyers Ananta Raj Luitel and Ram Prasad Pudasaini are challenging the amendments to the Public Procurement Act, 2007, which now allow such notices to be issued through government media platforms instead.
Key Points
- The government argued in the Supreme Court that publishing tender notices is not part of the constitutional right to free expression.
- The amended Public Procurement Act allows government tender notices to be published through government media instead of private media.
- Lawyers Ananta Raj Luitel and Ram Prasad Pudasaini have challenged the amendment as unconstitutional, and they filed a supplementary petition after President Ramchandra Paudel authenticated it on July 9.
- The Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench issued a show-cause order on August 12 asking the government to respond within seven days.
