SC asks poll panel if poll code can be eased in J&K for flood relief

The court made the observations after J&K National Panthers Party Bhim Singh submitted that the Model Code of Conduct was coming in the way of relief work.

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A man removes muddied beddings from a hospital ward which was damaged by flooding in Srinagar. (Source: Reuters)

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Election Commission whether the Model Code of Conduct could be relaxed in poll-bound Jammu and Kashmir to enable smooth progress of relief and rehabilitation work following devastation by recent floods.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India H L Dattu asked the commission to respond to the issues and also wondered why political parties chose not to request the EC for postponement of Assembly elections in view of the floods.

“Notification has been issued and now hands are tied. All parties should have approached the Election Commission asking for postponement of elections. You could have said that people are still suffering and elections be postponed,” it observed.

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The court made the observations after J&K National Panthers Party Bhim Singh submitted that the Model Code of Conduct was coming in the way of relief work.

“We would ask Election Commission to allow distribution of materials by relaxing model code of conduct,” said the bench, adding it was concerned about the state.

The bench also regretted that it had to issue certain orders although it was a duty of the government to ensure relief. “There is nothing like convincing (about steps). You take care of people is all that we are saying. You should really feel bad about performance,” it told the state government.

The court-appointed panel had in its report said that relief was not being properly and equitably distributed in some districts, particularly in Srinagar, Udhampur and Rajouri. It also alleged that there was lack of doctors in the state and adequate number of medical practitioners should be sent from AIIMS, PGI Chandigarh and other hospitals. The SC had on September 24 had appointed a five-member panel to ascertain the situation in the state.

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