The Kerala government approached the Supreme Court on February 18, 2026, challenging a High Court order that put the Nava Keralam Citizen Response Programme on hold. This public outreach initiative aimed to collect citizens' opinions on development and welfare schemes across the State from January to February 2026. Represented by advocate C.K. Sasi, the government argued that the High Court wrongly interfered in public policy by stalling a Cabinet-approved programme and cancelling its financial and budgetary approvals. The programme was planned as a time-bound, statewide exercise involving coordination between the State, districts, and local bodies with volunteer participation. Approximately ₹20 crores were allocated under the budget head 'Special PR Campaign' by the Information and Public Relations Department in October 2025. The High Court's intervention followed a writ petition claiming the programme violated the Rules of Business. Petitioners said the subject of gathering development inputs belongs to specific departments, not the Information and Public Relations Department, and alleged misuse of public funds without legislative approval. The Kerala government countered that the programme had full Cabinet approval, along with administrative and financial sanctions. It maintained that the department was competent to implement the initiative. The Supreme Court petition states, "The High Court failed to appreciate that the Rules of Business are internal executive instructions intended for convenient transaction of governmental business and are directory in nature. Non-compliance with such internal allocation of business does not ipso facto render executive action void." It also argued that internal fiscal guidelines like the Kerala Budget Manual do not have statutory force and cannot invalidate government actions. "Internal fiscal instructions cannot be elevated to the status of enforceable law by the court in judicial review," the petition said. The case now awaits decision in the Supreme Court.