KATHMANDU: The Supreme Court has issued an interim order to the government telling it to provide relief materials to the economically marginalised and helpless people without requiring them to provide citizenship, driving license or poor household identification, and identity card.

The order was issued by a division bench of Justice Deepak Kumar Karki and Hari Prasad Phuyal in response to a writ petition filed by advocate Shailendra Harijan and others against the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and others.

The apex court said that there could be no second opinion that people's right to live with dignity should be respected at the time of a pandemic and they should get government relief without any discrimination.

The court said that the government had an obligation to provide relief without any discrimination keeping in mind the people's right to food and on grounds of humanity.