Poll code won't hamper Kashmir relief work, SC told

The Election Commission Friday told the Supreme Court that it has told the central and the Jammu and Kashmir governments that the election code of conduct won't hamper relief and rehabilitation work in the flood-devastated areas of the state.

The Commission said this to an apex court bench of Chief Justice H.L. Dattu and Justice A.K. Sikri.

Counsel for the Commission, Amit Sharma, told the court that it had communicated Nov 5 that relief and rehabilitation work including disbursal of ex-gratia to people was not to be affected by the model code of conduct that came into force following the declaration of elections to the Jammu and Kashmir assembly.

After noting the clarification by the Election Commission, the court Friday asked the central government to spell out what amount it was going to release to help restore normalcy to the state, which suffered massive damage in the wake of the unprecedented floods in September.

The state has demanded Rs.44,000 crore from New Delhi.

The court said that people in the flood-hit areas needed good governance.

One of the PIL petitioners, Vasundhara Pathak Masoodi, told the apex court that what was being given to people by way of free ration was a "cruel joke" as rice was of inferior quality. There are places in the state where rice has not even reached.

As counsel for the state sought to defend the government, the court told him not to treat the case as an adversarial litigation. "It is a question of human like. What citizens expect is good governance."

Bhim Singh wanted to raise more issues. But the court said Friday's hearing was confined to the response of the Election Commission. The rest would be taken up Nov 17.

In the meantime, the Jammu and Kashmir Awami National Conference (JKANC) founded by the former chief minister G.M. Shah Friday urged the apex court to intervene and postpone the assembly polls due in November-December as the state had suffered extensive destruction following the floods.