Chief Secretary will also not attend UAE Investors' Meet; three-member team of officers will be sent instead

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Chief Secretary will also stay away from the visit to the UAE after the Centre denied permission to the Chief Minister and his team of ministers. Chief Secretary VP Joy has pulled out of attending the Investors' Meet in Abu Dhabi. A three-member team of officers will be sent instead. The secretaries of NORKA, the Tourism department and-IT department will leave tomorrow to attend the investment summit in Abu Dhabi.

The Chief Minister cancelled the UAE trip after the Centre denied him permission stating that the Investors' Meet was not important enough for the Chief Minister to attend directly. The Centre was irked by the fact that the UAE sent direct invitations to states, including Kerala. The Chief Minister had planned to attend the Abu Dhabi Investors' Meet and some other functions from the 8th to the 10th of May. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar personally verified the application submitted by the Chief Minister's office seeking permission to travel to the UAE for the Investors' Meet. Later, the Centre informed the government that there is no need for the Chief Minister and the ministers to attend such events.