Tuesday, January 11 2005 22:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Government today (Jan 11, 2005) denied that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was disallowed permission to visit tsunami-hit Tamil Nadu but noted that India has advised that foreign dignitaries should avoid travel to such affected areas as it may hamper relief work.

"There is no question of refusing permission to the UN Secretary General to visit the tsunami-hit areas," Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed told reporters in New Delhi, denying a media report in this regard.

He, however, said the Government of India has conveyed to its "friends" that foreign dignitaries should avoid travel to tsunami-affected areas so that local authorities remain "full engaged" with relief work.

During pre-occupation of local authorities with relief work, it would be "difficult to extend protocol and normal facilities that are extended to any foreign guest", Ahamed said.

The Minister said even the Central Ministers have been asked to avoid visit to the affected areas to allow local authorities to carry on with relief work.

Asked why Annan did not visit India if he was in the region and had went to Sri Lanka also, Ahamed said "he (Annan) may have had his own programme."

External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said there was no specific request to any foreign dignitary not to come to the Tsunami-affected areas.

But "as a matter of general policy, we had taken the view that such visits at this stage should not take place essentially because the local authorities are fully occupied with the relief efforts.

"Secondly, we would not be in a position at this stage to have made the arrangements and provided the facilities that we normally do for high level visits," he said.

The spokesman said there has been full understanding for this policy for the view because this was intended for the maximum effective relief for the victims.