Chandigarh, Oct 15 The Punjab government has moved the high court, challenging the Centre’s denial of political clearance “without assigning any reason” to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for an official visit to France.
The denial of approval to the visit, which is meant to promote trade, is “arbitrary,” the government said.
In its plea to the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the government sought quashing of the Ministry of External Affairs’ decision to deny clearance for the visit to SIAL Paris 2026, an international food trade exhibition being held from October 17 to 21.
Mann is slated to lead a delegation from October 15 to 21 at the exhibition.
In a 56-page petition against the Union of India, the state contended that the visit was proposed in connection with the participation of the Punjab State Cooperative Supply and Marketing Federation Ltd (MARKFED), Punjab’s top cooperative.
MARKFED has been allotted a stall at the exhibition under the APEDA India Pavilion by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), a body under the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the plea said.
Punjab’s Department of Cooperation approached the MEA for clearance through letters dated September 3 and 8. The government sent an online application for political clearance on September 9.
“The Indian Mission in France had been consulted, administrative approval and cadre clearance had been granted, and the entire expenditure is to be borne by MARKFED. Despite this, the application has simply been shown as ‘DENIED’ on the portal. No reason has been given, and no opportunity was afforded to the petitioner,” the plea said.
The action is “non-speaking, arbitrary and without the authority of any law,” it said.
“It amounts to unwarranted interference by the Central Government in matters falling within the executive power of the State under Article 162 of the Constitution read with Entries 14, 24, 26, 27 and 32 of List II of the Seventh Schedule, and strikes at the federal structure of the Constitution,” the plea stated.
Since the delegation is scheduled to leave on October 15, the matter requires urgent consideration, it prayed.
(PTI News)
