Nepal’s Supreme Court has stayed the government’s move of rolling back its earlier decision to check permitted levels of pesticides in vegetables and fruits imported from India.

A single bench of Justice Anandamohan Bhattarai issued the ruling yesterday asked the government authorities to continue testing of imported vegetables and fruits.

Last week, the Nepal Government had put on hold its earlier decision to conduct a test of vegetables and fruits imported from India at the custom points to ascertain levels of pesticide residue.

The government said it had put on hold testing of pesticides in imported vegetables and fruits due to lack of infrastructure facilities to conduct such tests.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed by two advocates at the Supreme Court on Tuesday against the government’s move of rolling back its earlier decision.

On 17th June, the Government of Nepal had instructed its border authorities to test the level of pesticide before allowing Indian vegetables and fruits. Following the instructions, hundreds of trucks had been stuck at various border points. Nepal largely depends on fruits and vegetables imported from India.

The Supreme Court has asked all concerned parties to appear before the court on 15th July.