In a landmark decision on federal power sharing, the Supreme Court’s Constitutional Bench has clarified how authority over forests is divided between the federal and provincial governments, declaring parts of the Forest Act 2076 unconstitutional.
The ruling came in response to a petition filed by the Madhesh Province government after the federal government decided to merge the Sagarnath Forest Development Project into the Timber Corporation of Nepal under Nepal Forest Corporation Limited. Madhesh had earlier decided to bring the project under its control and had allocated a budget for its protection, arguing that forest management within the province falls under its jurisdiction.