Why earthquake-hit Venezuela invited Naveen Patnaik's e aide VK Pandian
If there is one state globally known for its successful disaster management model, it is Odisha. Now, Venezuela, reeling from two devastating earthquakes two weeks
If there is one state globally known for its successful disaster management model, it is Odisha. Now, Venezuela, reeling from two devastating earthquakes two weeks ago, wants to learn from Odisha's playbook. That is why Venezuelan interim president Delcy Rodriguez invited former Odisha IAS officer VK Pandian to share insights on the coastal state's "zero casualty" disaster management model. It has put Pandian in the spotlight again, two years since he stepped away from public life and active politics. Many remember Pandian as the trusted aide of former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The Odisha cadre IAS officer joined the BJD six months before the 2024 elections, and led its campaign. However, he stepped down after the BJD was routed by the BJP. But before politics, Pandian was known in the state's circles as the "cyclone manager". Venezuela seems to have carefully noted his credentials. Read Full Story WHY VENEZUELA INVITED VK PANDIAN Earlier this week, Pandian visited Venezuela and toured areas worst affected by the earthquakes, which left over 3,000 dead. The former BJD leader is known to be usually reticent and maintain a low profile. People only came to know of his visit after Pandian himself posted videos and images from Venezuela. The visuals showed much of the Latin American country in ruins, with flattened buildings and debris scattered across.
Pandian is also seen interacting with locals and working with teams involved in rescue and recovery operations. Later, Pandian met Rodriguez, where he discussed Odisha's globally recognised approach to handling natural disasters. The interim president, battling, perhaps, her gravest crisis, has faced criticism over what the public has called a slow and inadequate response to the disaster. In fact, it has been just months since Rodriguez took charge after the US's capture of Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro. "Shared experiences and learning on rescue, recovery and rehabilitation. Discussed both immediate and long-term responses in disaster mitigation," the former bureaucrat said in a post on Instagram. Following the catastrophe, India launched Operation Amistad, setting up an Army Field Hospital on a racetrack to provide medical treatment. Pandian said he received "great feedback" from Venezuela about the Army's initiative. The fact that Venezuela invited Pandian to assist it burnishes the former BJD leader's reputation as a disaster management expert. When he quit politics in 2024, Naveen Patnaik vividly recalled Pandian's role when the state was struck by two major cyclones and the Covid pandemic. Pandian, who served as Patnaik's private secretary for 12 years, was largely seen as the BJD supremo's successor. VK Pandian visited Venezuela and toured areas worst affected by the earthquakes THE ODISHA MODEL OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT Historically, Odisha has faced the maximum brunt of deadly cyclones that strike its coast every year.
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