The central government has reportedly issued notices to Tamil Nadu ministers Rajmohan and Keerthana, seeking an explanation over allegations that they undertook official foreign visits without obtaining the mandatory approval from the Centre, as reported in DinaMani.
According to reports, Rajmohan, who holds the School Education, Tamil Development and Information portfolios, and Keerthana, the Minister for Industries and Investment Promotion, recently travelled abroad on official visits. They were accompanied by senior IAS officers from their respective departments as well as their personal staff.
Under the established protocol, ministers and senior government officials undertaking official foreign visits are required to obtain prior clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). They are also required to travel using diplomatic passports for such official engagements.
However, it has been alleged that both ministers undertook their official visits without securing the necessary approvals from the central government and travelled using their personal passports instead of diplomatic passports.
Following the alleged violation, the Ministry of External Affairs has reportedly issued notices to both ministers seeking an explanation.
According to reports, the Centre has also sent a communication to the Tamil Nadu government questioning how ministers could undertake official foreign travel without obtaining the mandatory approval from the central government.
The notice is also said to have pointed to lapses on the part of officials in the Tamil Nadu Secretariat and senior IAS officers, alleging that they failed to ensure compliance with the prescribed procedures governing official foreign visits.
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