[BREAKING] Kerala High Court stays Election Commission order which halted State govt decision to distribute rice to blue and white card holders

The Kerala High Court on Monday gave green signal to the Kerala government to go ahead with distribution of rice to blue and white card holders..A Bench of Justice PV Asha stayed an order of the State Election Commission which had directed the State government to halt the proposed distribution of rice in view of the model code of conduct in place for the upcoming State Assembly elections on April 6. ."I am of the view that these orders should be stayed. Accordingly, these ordered are stayed," the Court ordered. .The Court however clarified that no impression should be given or allowed to be created by the government that such welfare measure relief or rehabilitation was being undertaken by government in office so as to influence the electorate in favour of party in power. .The government had on February 4, 2021 issued an order announcing distribution of 10 kg special rice over and above the regular ration to non-priority card holders (blue and white cards) at Rs. 15. .The Pinarayi Vijayan government had approached the High Court after the Election Commission ordered a halt on the same. .Additional advocate General Ranjith Thampan, representing the State government, submitted that the decision was taken based on Finance Minister's budget speech which was in January 2021 before the announcement of assembly elections to Kerala. Elections, he said, are normally held in May and nobody expected that it would be held on April 6. ."In Jan 2021, nobody knew election will be in April 6. Normally elections are in May. No arbitrariness can be attributed to the Government Order of February 4," he said. .He said that it was a welfare measure and issued keeping in mind the festivals of Easter, Vishu and Ramzan which would be celebrated in the coming weeks..The State Election Commission submitted that the decision was taken by the Chief Electoral Officer based its decision on report of screening committee. We went by that and no other material was before us.Advocate Deepu Lal Mohan, representing the EC also questioned the decision of the State government to revive a scheme which was last employed in August 2020.“The rice distribution was due to Covid. It was last done in August. Now in the eve of elections, they have decided to recontinue. A scheme which was discontinued in August restarting it now will lead to complaints," it was submitted.