The Supreme Court today gave the green light for the recommencing of the drought relief programme in the Uva Province, which is preparing for polls next week, and instructed the government to carry it out without any political interference.
The government had halted the programme, which provides drought affected people in the Monaragala District with Rs 2,500 as relief, under a request made by the Commissioner of Elections citing it as an obstruction for a free and fair election.
However, a group of farmers from the Monaragala District had filed a Fundamental Rights petition claiming that the decision taken by the government to halt the programmme was unfair to them.
When the petition was taken up for hearing today, Chief Justice Mohan Peiris stated that the relief should be provided in a manner that it does not impede a free and fair election.
While instructing that the relief distribution be carried out without any political interference, he also informed the Monaragala District Secretary to avoid involving any candidates or political party representatives in the process.
He ordered that the relief work be carried out only through the Monaragala District Secretary and Division Secretaries.
