SC seeks Centre, Kerala govt response on K'taka plea on border issue

The Supreme Court on Friday sought responses from the Centre and the Kerala government on the plea of Karnataka challenging a high court order for opening of borders to ensure movement of essential supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The top court orally asked the Kerala government to not to precipitate the issue of opening of borders till further hearing of the matter on April 7.

A bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Deepak Gupta, which took up the plea for hearing through video conferencing asked the Chief Secretaries of Kerala and Karnataka 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.

It observed that in the present scenario, there cannot be indiscriminate opening of borders.

Karnataka's Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi, who appeared for the state, said that the order of Kerala High Court passed on April 1, was without any jurisdiction.

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."