The Government of India maintains bureaucrats but Kerala Chief Minister and the Ministers do not have to go to UAE for the ‘investment meet.’ Consequently, Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan and the Ministers are reported to have cancelled their UAE itinerary.
There are reports the Government of India does not consider a Foreign Government’s direct invitation to a State Government as the right procedure. That could be one of the reasons for the decision which came after considering the Government of Kerala’s application for about a month.
The Government of Kerala sought the Central Government’s permission to go to Abu Dhabi in compliance with the invitation of the Abu Dhabi Government to attend the investors’ meet and of some organisations to participate in various programmes.
Foreign Ministry is reported to have informed the Government of Kerala that CM and ministerial colleagues do not need to attend such programmes; bureaucrats’ attendance is enough. Nine member teams, including CM Pinarayi Vijayan, PWD and Tourism Minister and CM’s son-in-law P A Mohammed Riaz, Industries Minister P Rajeev and Chief Secretary V P Joy IAS, were supposed to leave for UAE on May 7.
Investors’ meet is scheduled from May 8 to May 10 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre. UAE Minister Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi forwarded the invitation.
It is reported that Chief Secretary V P Joy and a team of Government officials are expected to attend the meeting. It still needs to be discovered who is listed in the team.
Reports show that the invitation was not an ‘official’ one; if so, it would have been routed through the country’s embassy or consulate general. In this case, reports suggest that the country’s embassy in UAE is not aware of this invitation. Moreover, the Government of India’s permission is essential before an official dignitary attends such a programme abroad. And a Foreign Government cannot invite a Chief Minister.
The people of Kerala are a bit relieved now the unnecessary expenditure of the taxpayer’s money is reduced to a good extent. Because they know that CM’s foreign visits since his regime took over in 2016 have not made any difference in the State of affairs of Kerala. The State has not gained anything due to CM’s European tours.
Opposition parties laugh at CM’s visit to the Netherlands, in the wake of the killer floods of 2018, to study ‘Room for River’, a scheme for flood control. Because no one knows what development happened afterwards? No experts have found any benefit due to Chief Minister’s foreign trips. Some media said that Chief Minister’s UAE visit is to meet his son there.
The people wonder why the taxpayers should pick up the tab for the CM’s foreign visits since it is not useful to the State.
