KOCHI:  for an official tour, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, along with his delegation of officials, left for Norway early on Tuesday, October 4.

Vijayan had originally intended to travel to Finland, Norway, and the United Kingdom in the first week of this month, but the trip was postponed in the aftermath of the unexpected passing of politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.
According to the revised itinerary, the tour's stop in Finland has apparently been postponed, and the chief minister and his crew will instead arrive in Norway on Wednesday. 

The discussions in Norway will centre on advancing Kerala's maritime demands in Britain and Wales and bolstering the state's financial and educational sectors.The visit occurs at a time when the state is going through a very difficult financial period, and when news of the European trip broke last month, social media erupted with criticism.

An emotional Vijayan may have had trouble speaking at the memorial service for his party colleague Kodiyeri on Monday. 

Political conflict in Kerala: The European tour had incited a political controversy as the state was gripped by a severe financial crisis.

The government was urged to exercise financial restraint and cease wasting money on extravagant international trips by the opposition Congress and BJP.

"At a time when the State is looking into borrowing options, the Chief Minister and several ministers are waiting in line to travel abroad. After the government announced the European visit, K Sudhakaran, the president of the state Congress, stated that splurging and extravagance during the lean period had not yet "exposed the Communist doctrine."

However, KN Balagopal, the finance minister, defended the trip, saying that it was "essential to obtain expertise." "Kerala isn't all that poor. The CM's overseas trip won't affect the state's overall spending, "Balagopal stated.

The Finance Minister remarked, "Kerala has a domestic revenue of Rs. 10 lakh crore.

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