MEA denies nod to Khudian’s US trip
Khudian said the ministry did not cite any grounds for the refusal and he will write again to the MEA again for permission
The Union ministry of external affairs denied nod to Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and animal husbandry department officers’ US visit.
Khudian said the ministry did not cite any grounds for the refusal and he will write again to the MEA again for permission. The trip was scheduled from March 29 to April 6 and the costs were to be borne by Punjab’s Livestock Development Board.
It is mandatory for a state cabinet minister to take permission from the ministry for an official trip.
Animal husbandry department principal secretary Rahul Bhandari and director GS Bedi were to accompany Khudian on the visit to a laboratory of ABS Global at Wisconsin in the US for signing of an agreement.
The letter seeking permission was sent earlier this month and after a week of it, the ministry said ‘clearance cannot be given’ in its reply, Khudian said.
