Baalu regrets absence of Kerala minister at MSDC meet

Kochi, Dec 22 (UNI) Union Shipping Minister T R Baalu today expressed disappointment at the absence of Kerala Ports Minister M Vijaykumar at the eighth Maritime States Development Council (MSDC) meet here.

Asked about the absence the Kerala minister at the meeting, Mr Baalu said at a press conference that the member-secretary of the MSDC had invited all the members of the council for the meeting.

''The chief minister of Goa and the ministers of six states attended today's meeting on our invitation. It is definitely disappointing that Kerala's minister did not come. But, I do not know the reason. Maybe there was some other pre-occupation,'' Mr Baalu said.

According to media reports here, the Kerala Ports Minister's office had said that the minister had not received a ''proper and timely'' invitation for the meeting.

However, senior officials of the Kerala ports department attended the meeting.

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