June 19th 2024.
The Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressing his concern over the denial of political clearance for the state's Health Minister, Veena George, to travel to Kuwait. This comes after the recent fire incident in the Gulf nation, where the minister was supposed to coordinate relief efforts.
In his letter, the CM has highlighted that the denial of clearance goes against the principles of cooperative federalism, which is the foundation of our country's development. He has urged the Prime Minister to advise the External Affairs Ministry to be more responsive in the future to such requests.
Vijayan further stated that it was extremely unfortunate that there was no response from the EAM to the request for political clearance, resulting in George being unable to travel to Kuwait. He emphasized that her presence would have been crucial in liaising with the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, the team of officials, and the Embassy, providing much-needed relief and confidence to the affected families.
The Chief Minister clarified that the intention behind bringing up this issue was not to create a controversy, but rather to fulfill its duty as a state government. He stressed that the non-response to the request for political clearance needed to be brought to the attention of the Prime Minister.
Vijayan pointed out that the state cabinet's collective decision had been disregarded, despite the request falling under the purview of compelling circumstances, as per the Office Memorandum of the Cabinet Secretariat. He further stated that the non-consideration of the request went against the principles of cooperative federalism, where the Union and the States are equal partners in the pursuit of development and in times of disasters and calamities.
The Chief Minister emphasized that political or other considerations should not hinder the issuance of political clearances in such situations. He urged that decisions should not even appear to convey any bias. In conclusion, Vijayan requested the Prime Minister to advise the Ministry of External Affairs to be more responsive to such requests in the future, as the goodwill between the Union and the States is essential for a healthy cooperative federalism.
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