Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has directed Union Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram to remain in Delhi to over see issues of national urgency during his absence from India in the first half of November,when he would be visiting France, Maldives and Indonesia.
Prime Minister would have kept the "hue and cry" created during his Washington visit when the finance ministry note suggesting that the 2G scam could have been prevented by P Chidambaram was released through RTI. It brought the government to a standstill with both Chidambaram and Pranab offering to resign.

Since the visits to each country are not more than 72 hours of duration, the prime minister was silent on convening union cabinet meetings.
This was communicated to the Members of the cabinet committee on political affairs by the cabinet secretary Ajit Seth. Seth's letter is reproduced below:

Dear Minister,
Working arrangments for disposal of urgent business during the absence of prime minister on foreign tour

The prime minister will be visiting the under mentioned countries in the month of November 2011
1) France from November 2, 2011 to 5th November 2011
2)  Maldives from 9th November 2011 to 12th November 2011 and
3) Indonesia and Singapore from 18th November 2011 to 20th November 2011
 

2)  In the absence on the above mentioned tours the following arrangements will be in place
a) The cabinet committee on political affairs (CCPA) may decide on issues of national urgency. The CCPA will in prime minister's absence be presided over by the senior most minister
b) either the minister of finance or the minister of home affairs may remain in Delhi during the period of prime minister's absence and
c) policy requiring prime minister's approval may if these do not warrant immediate consideration or decision be held over
3)  The above directions of the prime minister are brought to the kind attention of the members of CCPA.

With regards
Ajit Seth
Cabinet secretary