Cuttack, March 23: The embargo of the state government on “direct relief operations” in Khandhamal after it was hit by violence during the Christmas week has come under judicial scrutiny.

In January the Orissa government had issued an order restricting distribution of relief to affected families directly. According the order, institutions and individuals wishing to help victims were to hand over materials to the district administration.

The government diktat was issued with a stated purpose of scotching “possible ill-will” among communities that could disturb the peace in the district once more.

The over two-month-old ban had its echo in the Orissa High Court when a PIL sought judicial intervention against it last week, questioning the rationale behind the restriction. The All Indian Christian Council’s Orissa chapter filed the PIL alleging that the order was “discriminatory”.

A two-judge bench of Chief Justice A.K. Ganguly and Justice B.N. Mohapatra has sought a reply from the government and posted the PIL for further hearing on April 3.

The court has granted an interim stay on the restriction, but with the rider that “in the matter of distribution of relief materials, all parties involved therein should maintain law and order”.

Meanwhile, Archbishop of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar Raphael Cheenath has filed a writ in the Supreme Court for the withdrawal of the order. The plea is expected to come up for hearing this week.

“The government claims the return of normality in the Khandhamal and the Christian community also hopes there will be no recurrence of violence. But the district administration has not withdrawn the order barring the Church from extending relief to the victims of violence, many of who are still in refugee camps. Those national and international charitable institutions that tried to help have been frustrated in their attempt to reach the victims, the PIL states.

“Repeated appeals have also been made to the governor and chief minister. But, the administration remains unfazed, even as some people continue to live a hand-to-mouth existence without a roof over their heads,” it alleges.

“Relief provided by the government agencies are inadequate and don’t cover all necessities. Moreover, the state’s directives to NGOs to provide relief to all 1,000-affected families through the District Red Cross Branch is chauvinistic,” the PIL stated.