38-member delegation leaves with almost no official agenda
NEW DELHI, September 13 (DNA INDIA): It is thanksgiving either way. Thanksgiving to the US for the nuclear deal and to our own lawmakers, some of whom bailed the UPA out at the trust vote. A 38-member delegation comprising three ministers, 16 MPs and their relatives is headed for a weeklong sojourn to the United States to thank the Bush establishment for its stand on the 123 agreement. There is almost no official programme barring a meeting with secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, but that too is iffy.Many of the independent MPs in the delegation, particularly those hailing from the North-East and Ladakh, had voted for the government during the July 22 vote of confidence. According to officials of the parliamentary affairs ministry, the ‘Goodwill Visit’ has been planned to provide the legislators with an opportunity to thank the US government for its stand on the nuclear agreement and discuss bilateral relations. Obviously, the expression of gratitude comes at a heavy cost to the exchequer. Business class travel and the stay at plush five-star hotels say it all - the one-way business class fare in Air India is Rs1.80 lakh.
On his part, parliamentary affairs minister Vayalar Ravi denied that the US visit was to thank the MPs who had sided with the UPA during the trust vote. “This tour was due last year. But it was cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances,” he clarified.
Abdul Rashid Shaheen of the National Conference, which voted for the UPA, denied that the visit has anything to do with the vote of confidence. “This holds significance in the face of growing Indo-US cooperation in various fields. We will meet the Congressmen connected with South Asia and acquaint them with the ground realities,” he said. The ministry sources said the names were included on the MPs’ own insistence. They had complained about being ignored by the government in the matter of foreign tours, the sources added. BJP MP and former union minister Santosh Gangwar, who is travelling with his wife Saubhagyawati, is part of the team — giving the team a more balanced composition.
Vayalar Ravi, who is leading the delegation, would be accompanied by his daughter Lakshmi Ravi, nephew Kuruvila Joseph and private secretary ZA Naqvi. Two ministers of state Surya Kanta Patil (NCP) and Pawan Bansal (Congress) would be accompanied by son-in-law Amitabh Dayal and son Amit, respectively. The other MPs in the delegation are Thuptstan Chhewang (independent from Ladakh), W Wangyuh Konyak (Nagaland Peoples Front), Mohan Singh (Samajwadi Party), S K Bwiswmuthiary (independent from Assam),Vanlalzawma (Mizo National Front), Nakul Das Rai (Sikkim Democratic Front), Mani Charenamei (independent from Manipur), DV Rao (Congress), Braj Kishore Tripathy (BJD), Chandrakant Khaire (Shiv Sena), Amir Ali Jinnah Sulaiman, (Rajya Sabha-DMK), Ram Chandra Paswan (Lok Jan Shakti Party) and Sita Ram Singh (RJD). The delegation, which took off on Friday night, will be in New York from September 13 to 15 and will put up in the multi-starred luxurious Waldrof Astoria hotel. Subsequently, it will be in Washington DC from September 16 to 17 and in Los Angles from September 19 to 20 before returning home. The only listed programme for the MPs is a meeting with US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and speaker of the US house of representatives Nancy Pelosi. The two US leaders are still to confirm appointments, the ministry sources said.
Source: http://www.morungexpress.com/national/3671.html
NEW DELHI, September 13 (DNA INDIA): It is thanksgiving either way. Thanksgiving to the US for the nuclear deal and to our own lawmakers, some of whom bailed the UPA out at the trust vote. A 38-member delegation comprising three ministers, 16 MPs and their relatives is headed for a weeklong sojourn to the United States to thank the Bush establishment for its stand on the 123 agreement. There is almost no official programme barring a meeting with secretary of state Condoleezza Rice, but that too is iffy.Many of the independent MPs in the delegation, particularly those hailing from the North-East and Ladakh, had voted for the government during the July 22 vote of confidence. According to officials of the parliamentary affairs ministry, the ‘Goodwill Visit’ has been planned to provide the legislators with an opportunity to thank the US government for its stand on the nuclear agreement and discuss bilateral relations. Obviously, the expression of gratitude comes at a heavy cost to the exchequer. Business class travel and the stay at plush five-star hotels say it all - the one-way business class fare in Air India is Rs1.80 lakh.
On his part, parliamentary affairs minister Vayalar Ravi denied that the US visit was to thank the MPs who had sided with the UPA during the trust vote. “This tour was due last year. But it was cancelled due to unavoidable circumstances,” he clarified.
Abdul Rashid Shaheen of the National Conference, which voted for the UPA, denied that the visit has anything to do with the vote of confidence. “This holds significance in the face of growing Indo-US cooperation in various fields. We will meet the Congressmen connected with South Asia and acquaint them with the ground realities,” he said. The ministry sources said the names were included on the MPs’ own insistence. They had complained about being ignored by the government in the matter of foreign tours, the sources added. BJP MP and former union minister Santosh Gangwar, who is travelling with his wife Saubhagyawati, is part of the team — giving the team a more balanced composition.
Vayalar Ravi, who is leading the delegation, would be accompanied by his daughter Lakshmi Ravi, nephew Kuruvila Joseph and private secretary ZA Naqvi. Two ministers of state Surya Kanta Patil (NCP) and Pawan Bansal (Congress) would be accompanied by son-in-law Amitabh Dayal and son Amit, respectively. The other MPs in the delegation are Thuptstan Chhewang (independent from Ladakh), W Wangyuh Konyak (Nagaland Peoples Front), Mohan Singh (Samajwadi Party), S K Bwiswmuthiary (independent from Assam),Vanlalzawma (Mizo National Front), Nakul Das Rai (Sikkim Democratic Front), Mani Charenamei (independent from Manipur), DV Rao (Congress), Braj Kishore Tripathy (BJD), Chandrakant Khaire (Shiv Sena), Amir Ali Jinnah Sulaiman, (Rajya Sabha-DMK), Ram Chandra Paswan (Lok Jan Shakti Party) and Sita Ram Singh (RJD). The delegation, which took off on Friday night, will be in New York from September 13 to 15 and will put up in the multi-starred luxurious Waldrof Astoria hotel. Subsequently, it will be in Washington DC from September 16 to 17 and in Los Angles from September 19 to 20 before returning home. The only listed programme for the MPs is a meeting with US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and speaker of the US house of representatives Nancy Pelosi. The two US leaders are still to confirm appointments, the ministry sources said.
Source: http://www.morungexpress.com/national/3671.html
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