December 23: The Patan High Court on Friday issued an interim order preventing the government to freeze the surety amount of Italian contractor company CMC, the firm responsible to construct the tunnel of Melamchi Water Supply Project.

A single bench of Chief Judge Prakash Kumar Gurung issued the directive not to implement the government decision to seize the surety amount until the next directive to be issued on Sunday, December 23.

According to Rastriya Samachar Samiti, the registrar of Patan High Court Baburam Dahal said that both the sides have been summoned at the court on Sunday.

The state-run news agency, RSS, reported that the CMC had informed the Melamchi Water Suppl;y Project to scrap the agreement some two weeks ago.