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Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 21 (ANI): The Kerala High Court on Monday allowed the state government to give rice to all ration card holders at Rs. 2 per kg and set aside curbs imposed by the Election Commission (EC) on the scheme ahead of the April 13 assembly polls.The bench, comprising Chief Justice J Chelemeswar and Justice P R Ramachandra Menon, which passed a 28-page order, allowed a petition filed by Rajaji Mathew, a CPI MLA, challenging the EC decision.”We are of the opinion that such a decision interdicts the decision of the state which is within the jurisdiction and authority of the state as conferred by the constitution”, the court said.”The activity of the state was combining the official activity the state i.e., the implementation of its policy. There is no political propaganda in it”, the bench said.The EC had submitted it was not against providing rice at Rs 2 per kg to BPL-APL families but had only restrained the identification of fresh beneficiaries and extending the scheme to the beneficiaries who were yet to be identified.The Election Commission on March 7, banned implementation of Kerala government’s decision to extend the rice-at-Rs 2 per kg scheme to cover 40 lakh families in view of the model code of conduct, which went into force with announcement of assembly elections in the state.The scheme, announced by Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan after a cabinet meeting on February 23, just six days before announcement of the poll dates, is yet to be implemented. (ANI)