Appointments made overseas, such as in the case with the Honorary Consul for Guyana in Mumbai, Dr Ajeenkya DY Patil, are usually not publicised locally but the information is updated on the Foreign Ministry’s website, an official said.
Patil was appointed Honorary Consul last year June and his appointment was made public through the Indian news magazine The Day After.
Many persons had questioned his appointment saying that it was because of his close ties with former president Bharrat Jagdeo that he was chosen. It is from Patil’s university that Jagdeo was granted an honorary doctorate. Patil is the son of Dr DY Patil founder of the D Y Patil Group. The company is also planning a major agriculture investment here which was not detailed until Stabroek News reported on it.
An official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that there was nothing sinister in the non-publication of Patil’s appointment, nor was it meant to be kept from the public.
Rather, the official said, it was protocol as in the case of appointments made overseas. “What happens is when we make an appointment outside of Guyana there is not a press release announcing it… but we update our website list of appointees,” the official said.
Patil’s appointment the official informed was similar to those of the honorary consul for Norway, Australia and Japan to name a few.
