Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi on Wednesday said the territorial Cabinet ministers and others now have to take priorclearance from the Centre as mandated before undertaking foreign trips.
In her whatsapp message, the former IPS officer said one particular minister in the cabinet without mentioning his name has been visiting a country frequently without any intimation to the territorial Chief Secretary, the office of the Lieutenant governor or prior clearance of the government of India as is required.
Bedi further said a few have reportedly visited 'sensitive' countries without any record with the territorial administration'.
"All this now comes under due regulation and watch," she added.
She referred to the visit to Singapore by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy and a team (in November last year) and said the visit was yet to be finally settled "as statutory clearance under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA) was not obtained by the Chief Minister and his team."
The Ministers and others now have to take all prior clearances mandated before taking up foreign trips.
It may be mentioned that the Chief Minister accompanied by the Industries Minister M O H F Shah Jahan and the chairman of government-owned Industries Development Corporation here R Siva, MLA (DMK), had visited Singapore on a five-day trip from November 6 last year to invite industrialists and investors to do business in Puducherry.
Narayanasamy also claimed on return to Puducherry that he had informed the Centre and also obtained the 'political clearance' from the Union External Affairs Ministry before leaving for Singapore.
The Lieutenant Governor, however, pointed out then that she was not aware of the Chief Minister and his team's visit to Singapore.
Narayanasamy kept saying at press conferences and at other fora that it was a private visit on his part and on the part of two others and the purpose was to attract investors for the development of the Union Territory.
Bedi, however, said the Chief Minister had told a press meet there (Singapore) first saying that it was a private visit and later saying it was a business trip seeking investments including for possible casinos, which have caused 'distress' among sections of society.
Bedi also said there was now a clear circular from the government of India on rules relating to foreign trips of Ministers.
The mandatory clearance for public officers already exists.
"None of us in the government can travel overseas without due clearances and all departments and public officials concerned elected or appointed- to take note of this," she said.
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