Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann received approval from the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday to travel to France, clearing the way for his proposed visit after the Centre denied permission.
Mann had approached the High Court by filing a petition against the central government over the rejection of his travel application.
The Punjab government had alleged that permission was denied despite the completion of all necessary formalities for the visit. According to the petition, the application status on the Ministry of External Affairs’ online portal simply showed “Denied”, without specifying any reason for the decision or providing an opportunity to present the government’s case.
As per the petition, Mann was scheduled to visit France from October 15 to 21, accompanied by the state’s Chief Secretary and the Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary.
The delegation was set to attend SIAL Paris 2026, an international food industry trade exhibition scheduled to take place in Paris from October 17 to 21.
The proposed visit aimed to explore international business opportunities for Punjab’s agricultural and food-processing products. It was also intended to help the state’s producers connect with overseas buyers and expand their presence in foreign markets.
With the High Court granting approval, the way has been cleared for the Chief Minister’s proposed visit to France.
