Centre yet to give nod to ministers' visit abroad to mobilise

The scheduled visit of Kerala ministers to 17 countries next week to mobilise funds from expatriates for flood relief work seems to have run into a roadblock with the Centre yet to give the green signal.

"The union government has given the nod for the visit of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,but not yet granted permission for that of the ministers," an official at the Chief Minister's office said here Saturday.

"We hope that Centre's nod for the trip will come soon", he said.

Vijayan and his cabinet colleagues are scheduled to visit various foreign countries, for for five days from October 17 to mobilise funds from the expatriate community to rebuild the flood battered state.

Vijayan had said on October 3 that each minister would visit different countries from October 17 to 21, including in the Gulf and Europe.

As per the plan, Vijayan would visit Abdu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah on October 17, 19 and 20.

The objective is to consolidate and collect aid from non-resident Keralites (NRKs) there.

Kerala had suffered huge damage in the torrential rains that lashed the state in August last, claiming 493 lives and leaving a trail of destruction.