New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed a Kerala High Court order that had halted the state government’s “Nava Kerala Citizens Response Programme”, observing that there was nothing inherently objectionable in seeking public feedback on welfare schemes.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi passed the interim order while issuing notice on the state government’s special leave petition challenging the High Court judgment.

The apex court questioned the basis of the High Court’s restraint, with Chief Justice Kant asking what was wrong with a state assessing the impact of its own schemes. “Why cannot a state find out the effects of its schemes and how can it be improved? What is wrong with that?” he said.

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The Kerala High Court had earlier directed the state to stop the survey, holding that public funds cannot be utilised without proper financial sanction.

While staying the High Court’s order, the Supreme Court directed the state government to submit, at an appropriate stage, a report detailing the expenditure incurred for the programme. 

Inputs from LiveLaw