Sharma always travelled after PMO nod: ministry

Commerce Minister Anand Sharma's office on Tuesday clarified that the minister had never undertaken any private visit abroad without permission from the Prime Minister's Office.

Commerce Minister Anand Sharma's office on Tuesday clarified that the minister had never undertaken any private visit abroad without permission from the Prime Minister's Office.

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His office was responding to a HT report on the Cabinet Secretariat issuing a confidential directive that all ministers would have to seek the Prime Minister's permission for undertaking even private foreign trips.

"It is clarified that during the period mentioned in the article, Anand Sharma, Minister for Commerce and Industry, has not undertaken any private visit abroad and the reference to the same is unwarranted," said Rajiv Jain, Director (M&C), of the Ministry.

He, however, added that "the only exception was when he (Sharma) had to suddenly leave due to the death of his father-in-law in May 2009.