New Delhi: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the refusal of political clearance by the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to his health minister Veena George to travel to Kuwait to coordinate relief efforts following the fire incident in the Gulf nation.
In his letter, dated June 15, Vijayan told the Prime Minister that denial of clearance “goes against the principles of cooperative federalism” and urged the latter to advise MEA to be “more responsive” to such requests in the future. The letter was made public on Wednesday, June 19.
“Her presence in Kuwait would have helped substantially in liaisoning with the Union Minister of State for External Affairs, the team of officials and the Embassy. This could have provided mental relief and confidence to the families of those who were affected by the unforeseen tragedy,” he said, according to South First.
At least 46 of the 50 killed in a building fire in Mangaf city of Kuwait on June 12 were from India, and most of them hailed from Kerala.
While noting that it was not his intention to create controversy in the hour of distress, Vijayan said it would be a failure on the part of the state government if the non-response to the request for the political clearance is not brought to the attention of the prime minister.
“The collective decision of the State Cabinet has been disregarded. Political clearance was requested as per the Office Memorandum of the Cabinet Secretariat dated February 28, 2023. The present request amply falls within the purview of compelling circumstances and non-consideration of the same clearly goes against the principles of cooperative federalism in which the Union and the States are equal partners in the pursuit for development as well as in mitigation efforts when our people face disasters and calamities,” Vijayan said in the letter.
Vijayan told Modi that no political considerations should come in the way of issuing such clearances and a decision taken “should not even appear to convey such a bias”.
“I request the Prime Minister to advise the Ministry for External Affairs to be more responsive to such requests in future, as the goodwill between the Union and the States is a crucial determinant for creating the environment of healthy cooperative federalism,” the chief minister said.
