Kerala High Court, while hearing a petition seeking permission to distribute free food in Kollam district's Nedumpana, on Monday said that people cannot be allowed to move freely during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The High Court said that people cannot be allowed to move freely even if it is with the "laudable" intent to distribute free food among the needy and adjourned the hearing for tomorrow.
"If it's possible for something to be worked out so that the petitioners can work with the state government to pool in more resources and distribute food, the same may be done. The government advisories would have to be followed and that one cannot act independently. Otherwise, every restaurant will open up tomorrow," the court said.
The petition, filed in the court, sought permission to distribute food to the needy, who it said were unable to get the food distributed by community kitchens.
It said that the Kollam District Collector had denied permission when they approached to work with the government on this issue i.e. distribution of free food amid the COVID-19 lockdown.
Additional Advocate General Ranjith Thampan, arguing for the collector, told the court that they have not made such requests.
The plea said that only persons with phones can access community kitchens and the food in the district's community kitchens was not free.
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