Amid controversies, Kerala CM to leave for 8-day US, Cuba trip on June 7

Thiruvananthapuram: Amid controversies, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and other ministers, will leave for an 8-day trip to the United States and Cuba on June 7 (Thursday), to attend various events, including the American Regional Conference of the Loka Kerala Sabha. 

According to official sources, the CM and his delegation, which also included the Speaker, A. N. Shamseer, the Kerala Finance Minister, K. N. Balagopal, and other ministers, would leave from the capital on Thursday morning.

CM Vijayan will remain in the US until June 14, at which point he will fly from New York to Havana, the capital of Cuba, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) announced in a press release.

The Central government had last week granted permission to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to travel to the United States and Cuba. Earlier, the Centre denied permission for the Chief Minister's four-day trip to UAE that was scheduled between May 7 and 11. The Centre stated that the investment meeting in the UAE does not have an importance that requires Chief Minister's participation.

According to a CMO release, the Kerala Chief Minister will inaugurate the Loka Kerala Sabha's American Regional Conference on June 10 at the Marriott Marquis in New York Times Square. 

Prior to that, on June 9, Vijayan will visit the 9/11 Memorial in New York and thereafter go to see the UN headquarters, it said.

According to the statement's schedule, the chief minister will also inaugurate a business investment meet that will take place at the Marriott Marquis on June 11. The Chief Minister will also meet Malayali investors in America, prominent Malayali expatriates, IT experts, students and women entrepreneurs.

He will meet the World Bank’s South Asia Regional Vice President Martin Reiser in Washington DC on June 12, it added.

On June 13, the chief minister will personally visit and understand the Maryland waste management systems and on June 14, he will leave New York for Havana, the statement said.

CM Vijayan will participate in various programmes in Havana on June 15 and 16, meet with various dignitaries and also visit places of historical importance, including the Jose Marti Memorial.

At a public event in New York's famous Times Square, Vijayan will also speak to the international audience, the statement said. 

On the other hand, the collection of funds in the USA for the purpose of the regional conference of the Lok Kerala Sabha sparked controversy in Kerala. 

The state of Kerala hosts the Loka Kerala Sabha (World Kerala Assembly) as a way to unite the Malayali diaspora that lives all over the world. The Department of Non-Keralite Residents is in charge of hosting it. It intends to use NRKs' expertise for Kerala state development. The Loka Kerala Sabha would meet once every two years.

Before Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan attends the regional gathering of the "Loka Kerala Sabha" in the US, a tariff card is being distributed. The card, which is in the name of the organizing committee, lists the prices for various services offered to those who are willing to pay. The price of the Gold Pass, according to the tariff card, is $1 lakh, or around Rs. 82 lakhs. The price of the Silver Pass is $50,000, or roughly Rs. 41 lakhs, and the Bronze Pass is $25,000, or roughly Rs. 20.5 lakhs.
 

• CM Pinarayi Vijayan
• US and Cuba trip