In the late 1980s, AIADMK founder M.G. Ramachandran chose to fly to New York to get treated for his ailments. But late party leader Jayalalithaa Jayaram never opted to fly out of India when in power. When Tamil Nadu was looking for foreign investments or even when she was hospitalised, Jayalalithaa remained in India.
However, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami who runs the government in the name of Jayalalithaa, is all set to fly abroad on August 28. The chief minister will be flying to the UK and the US and come back via Dubai to reach Chennai on September 10.
There are criticisms and doubts raised over his first ever foreign trip while in power, but the chief minister is expected to bring in huge foreign investments and technical expertise for the upliftment of the state.
According to the detailed itinerary released by the state information department, Palaniswami will sign three MoUs with the UK to improve the healthcare in Tamil Nadu, will meet leading industrialists in the US to improve electricity, IT and automobile sectors in the state and will make a stop over in the UAE to take part in an entrepreneurs meet, on his way back to India.
According to the statement, Palaniswami will sign the MoU with King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and International Skill Development Corporation Limited and ISDC Global Services Limited with the intent to explore areas of mutual interest and possibilities of collaboration, on behalf of the health sector. The delegation led by the chief minister will also engage in talks with the representatives of the National Health Services, the popular public-funded health service. He will also see how the emergency ambulance service in England works and engage in talks with the health department officials as to how malaria can be brought under control.
In London, the chief minister will also meet industrial heads like Hinduja to woo foreign investments into Tamil Nadu.
On September 1, the chief minister will fly from London to New York with his delegation.
He will meet representatives of the American-Tamil Entrepreneur Federation and address the Tamils living in America. He will also participate in industrial meetings to sign and bring in business in the fields of solar and wind energy.
The chief minister will be a special guest in an interactive session to be hosted by Business Leaders Forum in the UAE on September 8.
Meanwhile, the opposition DMK and a section of the Tamil media have raised questions over the CM's foreign tour. The chief minister, according to sources, will be flying with a 11-member delegation.
