THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will leave for the United States on April 23 for treatment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. This is the third time that the chief minister is travelling to the US for treatment. He had visited Mayo Clinic first in 2018 and recently in January this year. The CM has reportedly not handed over charge to any minister in his absence.
This was the practice followed last time as well. Pinarayi had discharged his official duties online and processed important files via the government’s e-file system while undergoing treatment. Meanwhile, the government has withdrawn the order sanctioning Rs 29.82 lakh towards the treatment expenses of the chief minister at Mayo Clinic from January 11 to 26.
The General Administration (Accounts) Department issued an order on April 13 sanctioning the amount. However, the department issued an order on April 16 withdrawing the earlier order on grounds that there were some ‘factual errors’ in it.