3 min readChandigarhFeb 13, 2026 01:28 AM IST
Days after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was slated to leave for Netherlands and Czech Republic to meet investors, the Union Ministry of External Affairs has finally accorded political approval for the Punjab government delegation.
The 25-member delegation was to leave on Saturday midnight. However, since the political clearance was not granted at that time, the trip had to be cancelled. “The clearance came after the CM’s program was cancelled. The meetings scheduled in Netherlands and Czech Republic were also cancelled. That approval has come now,” a source said.
He added that there is no word from the Chief Minister on whether the trip would be undertaken or not. “We do not know whether he would be leaving. There has been no deliberation on the plan to travel yet. We will see if there is an attempt to revive the travel plan.”
“It is usually done by the Centre that the permission is accorded after the flight has already left. We had blocked the flights and made stay arrangements in the European countries. The approval has come after the schedule was cancelled. When they do not want to give permission, then usually send it after the flight and plan is cancelled. This is what exactly has happened in this case,” a government official said.
Mann had applied for clearance a fortnight ago. The Centre had conveyed that the permission was given in principle. However, formal approval did not come. The CM and officers had applied for Schengen visa. They got it. “They still have the visa. However, we do not know whether the trip will be undertaken.”
Mann had to lead a delegation of 25 to Europe for a week. The Indian Embassy in Netherlands had already scheduled meetings with industry honchos for extending invite for investing in Punjab. Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora was also scheduled to accompany the delegation led by Mann.
In case Mann wants to leave for abroad, there would be changes in the delegation, sources said. The Punjab government had recently put under suspension two officers from the investment promotion department including KK Yadav and Jaspreet Singh. If the government decides to undertake the trip, a new list would have to be prepared.
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Earlier, in January, the MEA had denied political clearance to Mann to travel to UK and Israel. The CM has however not reacted to this denial of permission.
Political clearance is required from MEA for senior political leaders. Mann holds a diplomatic passport, being the CM of a state. The 25, including the Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, Principal Secretary to CM Ravi Bhagat, and officials of industries and invest Punjab departments, were planning to go to UK and Israel in February to invite industry in these countries to invest in the state. The government is organising an investor’s summit in Punjab in March.
Mann had led the delegation to Japan and South Korea from December 1 to 8 and held several meetings with investors in both the countries and invited them for 6th Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit scheduled from March 13-15, 2026. For the Japan and South Korea trip, the MEA had given political clearance.
