SC sent PILs on Kashmir floods to J&K High Court

The Supreme Court today referred to the Jammu and Kashmir High Court a batch of PILs filed last year seeking directions to the Centre and the state government to provide various reliefs including cash and medicines to flood victims there.
"We have requested the Chief Justice of the High Court to constitute a committee in pursuance of our earlier order to look into the issues raised in the petitions," the social justice bench comprising justices Madan B Lokur and U U Lalit said.
The bench did not accept the plea of senior advocate and Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party chief Bhim Singh that the the plea be kept pending in the apex court itself.

"Sorry, we cannot do this," the bench said, adding that the three-member committee, to be set up by the Chief Justice in pursuance of our order, would be presided over by a senior Registrar.
"Let the Chief Justice of the High Court take the decision. We will tag these petitions with others," it said.
Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party and others had filed PILs seeking directions to authorities for providing immediate relief including cash and medicines to flood victims in the state.
Singh had also sought a direction to the Centre that the floods in the state be declared as "natural calamity and national disaster" keeping in view the enormous devastation.

The plea had also sought a direction to the Centre "to depute the National Disaster Committee to monitor the distribution of essential goods as well as other relief to the flood affected people at district level".