The Central government has denied Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan permission to attend a global investors’ meeting in Abu Dhabi.
A top official at the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) confirmed on Wednesday that the government had received a communication from the Centre denying Mr. Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues permission to travel to the country to participate in the event.
Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas and Industries Minister P. Rajeeve were part of the team to showcase Kerala’s investment-friendly environment and its pitch to transform the State as a knowledge economy.
The official said he could not comment whether Mr. Vijayan had abandoned the trip. Nevertheless, the Centre has allowed the Chief Secretary and other top bureaucrats to attend the event. The State government will weigh the situation on Thursday and seek further clarification from the Centre.
Officials said the Kerala government was one of the golden sponsors of the event and reportedly invested nearly ₹1 crore to get the State an international platform to showcase its strengths to the global business community.
The event organisers extended similar invitations to several other provincial governments in the country. It was unknown whether the Centre had denied permission to other Chief Ministers to attend the Abu Dhabi event.
The Central government was yet to publish in the public domain the reason for barring Mr. Vijayan and his Cabinet colleagues from attending the event.
