Our Political Bureau

Mumbai, April 6: FORMER US president Bill Clinton on Friday said the relief and rehabilitation schemes undertaken in the earthquake affected Gujarat were in the right direction. Mr Clinton has also offered expertise available in the US for the quake-hit state to mitigate the crisis.

At a breakfast meeting with Mr Sharad Pawar, the vice chairman of the National Disaster Management Committee set up by the prime minister, Mr Clinton also assured the knowledge sharing on disaster management and mitigation. The former US president is leading a 40-member strong delegation of American Indians.

Mr Pawar told reporters that India could avail of the knowledge and expertise present with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) of the US, which was similar to the disaster management committee set up in India.

Mr Pawar said no demand for financial assistance was put before Mr Clinton. “We are not beggars. India has the ability to raise funds,” he quipped and added that the issue of fund raising did not figure during the discussion. “You travelled for six hours under a hot sun to have a first hand information about the disaster and your visit has boosted the morale of the people who are trying to rebuild their lives,” Mr Pawar told the US president.

Mr RR Shah, cabinet secretary, who is co-ordinating work of the National Disaster Management Committee (NDMC), gave an outline of the rehabilitation plan being worked out by it. Mr Pawar said Clinton was keen to devote his time to the problems related to natural disasters such as cyclones, earthquakes and floods around the world in the wake of global climatic changes.