Bhubaneswar: Former IAS officer and ex-BJD leader VK Pandian has visited earthquake-hit Venezuela, where he met President Delcy Rodríguez and discussed disaster management, sharing Odisha’s and India’s experiences in rescue, relief, recovery and rehabilitation.
The visit came to light after Pandian shared photographs and a video on his Instagram account, showing him touring earthquake-affected areas, interacting with survivors and rescue personnel, and reviewing relief operations with senior officials of the Venezuelan government.
In his social media post, Pandian said he visited the affected regions and met teams engaged in rescue and recovery operations.
“I heartily appreciate each one of them for standing with the people during this terribly challenging time,” he wrote.
Pandian said he later met President Rodríguez and discussed both immediate and long-term strategies for disaster mitigation. He added that he shared Odisha’s and India’s experiences in disaster response, particularly in the areas of rescue, recovery and rehabilitation.
“The President’s faith in Sathya Sai Baba is a strong spiritual connection with India. May His blessings bring peace and prosperity at the earliest,” Pandian wrote.
He also said he received positive feedback about the role of the Indian Army and the Army Medical Corps in relief operations in the affected areas.
“I received great feedback about our Indian Army and the Army Medical Corps for rendering yeoman service to the affected people. Kudos to them. Prayers for normalcy and peace to return soon. Jai Jagannatha,” he said in the post.
A 2000-batch IAS officer, Pandian took voluntary retirement from the Indian Administrative Service in October 2023 to join the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). He stepped away from active politics in June 2024.
