SHILLONG, MAY 27: Meghalaya government on Wednesday said all foreign tours by ministers were approved well in advance and prior to the imposition of recent travel restrictions.
In a statement, the Personnel & Administrative Reforms department said the tours in question had received mandatory clearance from both the state government and the Ministry of External Affairs.
“The official visits are planned months in advance and also need the approval of the Ministry of External Affairs, Govt of India,” the Secretary, Personnel & AR Department, stated in the clarification.
According to the statement, no fresh approvals have been granted since the new guidelines came into force.
“All the visits…were approved both by the State Government and the Govt of India before the announcement of the travel restrictions,” the Secretary said.
“No new foreign visits have been approved after the announcement of travel restrictions by the Hon’ble Prime Minister and the directions issued by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Meghalaya,” the statement added.
