Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha cadre IAS officer V K Pandian Monday said that he visited the earthquake-hit Venezuela and met President Delcy Rodriguez, and shared the eastern state’s disaster preparedness.
Pandian had joined the then-ruling BJD around six months before the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections and announced his withdrawal from active politics after the party was trounced by the BJP.
“Visited Earthquake-affected areas of #Venezuela and met people and teams involved in rescue and recovery operations. Heartily appreciate each one of them standing with people in this terrible, challenging time,” he said in a social media post.
“Later met Honble President @delcyrodriguezv and shared our (#odisha #india) experiences and learning on rescue, recovery and rehabilitation,” the former bureaucrat said.
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He said he discussed with the Venezuelan President both immediate and long-term responses in disaster mitigation.
“Honble President’s faith in #sathyasaibaba is a strong spiritual connect with India. May HIS blessings bring peace and prosperity at the earliest,” Pandian said.
He also said that he received “great feedback” from the South American country about the Indian Army which set up a hospital at the International La Rinconada Racetrack to provide comprehensive care to those affected by the devastating earthquakes that took place last month, killing more than 1,700 people.
He also shared a few photos and videos of his visit to Venezuela.
When contacted, several BJP leaders refused to comment on Pandian’s visit to Venezuela.
Pandian was recently in the news after his ex-IAS wife Sujata Rout Karthikeyan formally joined the opposition BJD led by former chief minister Naveen Patnaik.
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