Sharad Pawar urges dignitaries not involved in relief work to avoid visiting flood-hit villages in Maharashtra

He says it would disturb post-disaster relief work

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday urged leaders and dignitaries not involved in relief and rescue work to avoid ‘calamity tourism’ by visiting flood-hit villages, as it would disturb the administration and volunteers involve in post-disaster relief work. “Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and guardian minister should be on the ground. Because they take stock of the situation and direct the relief work. Opposition leaders too have visited and I am sure that they have extended support to authorities. But many people who are not involved in relief work travel for no reason. This disturbs district authority and hampers ongoing work,” said Mr. Pawar, addressing a press conference here. Mr. Pawar’s statement comes on a day when Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari travelled to flood-affected Konkan region, along with suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ashish Shelar.