Kerala ministers await central clearance for Vatican trip

Earlier this month, clearance was denied to Local Self Government Minister K.T. Jaleel during the Saudi crisis.

Thiruvananthapuram:  Even as the Vatican gets ready for the canonisation of Mother Teresa on September 4, two Kerala ministers are awaiting central clearance for their trip as official representatives of the state.

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Issac and Minister for Water Resources Mathew T. Thomas have been nominated by the state government to attend the event at the Vatican.

However, Thomas said there seems to be some problem in the matter as clearance by the Centre for their trip is yet to come.

"We do not know what is the reason for the delay. We have booked our tickets to the Vatican to attend the canonisation," said Thomas whose late father was a priest of the Mar Thoma church headquartered in Thiruvalla in Pathanamthitta.

Kerala state had sent delegations to Vatican earlier when three natives were canonised. St Alphonsa, the first native Indian saint, was canonized in 2008.Fr. Kuriakose Elias Chavara and Sister Euphrasia Eluvathingal were declared as saints on 2014 November.

Earlier this month, clearance was denied to Local Self Government Minister K.T. Jaleel who was to travel to Saudi Arabia amid reports of hundreds of Keralites in the Gulf kingdom being rendered jobless.

But the Centre said it had already sent Union Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh to Saudi Arabia to resolve the issue.

Source: News Minute