Agreement reached between K'taka, Kerala on opening border roads, Centre tells SC

The Centre informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that a settlement has been reached between Karnataka and Kerala on lifting the blockade of border roads by the former and parameters for passage of patients for urgent medical treatment at the interstate border have been formulated.

A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Deepak Gupta was informed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, that the dispute between both the states on the blockade of roads following the coronavirus pandemic has been resolved.

He said a meeting of Union home secretary with the Chief secretaries of both Karnataka and Kerala has been held in compliance with the April 3 order of apex court and agreement has been arrived on the parameters for passage of patients for medical treatment at Talapadi border.

The bench said that then it can dispose of a batch of pleas including that of an appeal filed by Karnataka government against the April 1, order of Kerala High Court on the border issue.

On Monday, the Kerala government in its affidavit told the top court that Karnataka's blocking National Highways and border roads due to coronavirus, preventing people's access to medical treatment and movement of essential goods, is violative of fundamental rights of the Citizens.

It had said eight lives have been lost till date on account of the blockade of border roads by Karnataka and one person had died after an appeal was filed by Karnataka government in apex court against the High Court order for opening of the borders.

Kerala said that the Union government, under whom the National Highway fall, is duty bound to issue direction to Karnataka to remove such blockade for transporting patients requiring medical attention as well as essential goods to Kerala.

The top court on April 3 asked the Kerala government to not to precipitate the issue of opening of borders till further hearing while asking the Chief Secretaries of both the states to hold discussions with Union Health Secretary for amicable settlement of the issue and decide on parameters to be maintained in case of health emergencies.

The Karnataka government's plea filed by advocate Shubhranshu Padhi said, "The issue involved in the present SLP (special leave petition) is with regard to the closure of a road between the State of Karnataka and State of Kerala in order to combat the spread of the pandemic COVID-19...from the bordering Districts of the States."