New Delhi: The Supreme Court bench led by the Chief Justice Of India SA Bobde disposed off the case pertaining to sealing the Karnataka-Kerela border amid COVID-19. The centre through the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the court that the Chief Secretaries of the Centre, Kerela and Karnataka held a meeting and arrived at the parameters and protocol for passage for urgent medical treatment at the interstate border.
Karnataka has now agreed to allow non-COVID-19 patients to cross the interstate border at Kasargod for treatment at Mangalore. 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.
Read: Blocking of border roads by Karnataka violative of fundamental rights of citizens: Kerala to SC
Kasargod MP Rajmohan Unnithan had moved to the Supreme Court seeking court's intervention in the case as the people of his constituency were dependent on Mangalore for medical facilities and supply of groceries.
Kerala said the roads leading to Mangaluru are seen blocked by dumping piles of soil fully blocking the vehicular movement including ambulances plying to Mangalore for medical emergencies for patients in Kasaragod and even there are instances where roads are blocked by Karnataka inside the geographical area of Kerala.
After Karnataka sealed the border people of Kasargod had faced major troubles and a death was also reported as the car wasn't allowed to cross the border even in medical emergency.
The State of Karnataka had specifically closed the Makutta Check post on the Mysore-Virajepat-Kannur highway. However, the Kerala High Court vide the impugned order has directed Central Government to intervene and remove the closure on the said road.
The high court on April 1 gave the order on a PIL seeking directions for opening of the roads connecting Kasaragod in Kerala and Mangaluru in Karnataka, which had been closed by Karnataka in view of the lockdown to check the COVID-19 outbreak.
Read: COVID-19: Karnataka dumps sand to block border with Kasaragod
The court had said the national highways come under the administrative jurisdiction of the central government and that the provisions of the National Highways Act clearly provide for the maintenance of such highways by it.
The arterial roads that connect Mangaluru in Karnataka, to Kasaragod in Kerala were part of the National Highway network and it is therefore the duty of the Central Government to ensure that the said roads are kept free of blockades, the court had said.
(With inputs from PTI)
