SCB fire: Chaos continues in Odisha Assembly as Oppn demands Health Minister’s resignation

Bhubaneswar, March 20 (IANS) Massive chaos continued to rock the Odisha Assembly for the fourth consecutive day on Friday as the opposition stepped up its demand for the Health Minister’s resignation over the SCB Medical College and Hospital fire mishap in Cuttack, which officially claimed 12 lives.

The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Congress members holding placards and raising anti-government slogans created a massive ruckus in the House on Friday as well. The situation further turned ugly when opposition members, attempting to approach the Speaker’s chair, were stopped by security personnel, leading to pushing and shoving between them.

The leaders of both opposition parties (BJD, Congress) have made it clear repeatedly that their protest inside the House will continue until Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling steps down on moral grounds.

Amid the pandemonium, the House saw multiple adjournments, the last until 4 p.m. by Speaker Surama Padhy. The all-party meeting called by the Speaker on Friday to break the deadlock once again yielded no results.

Speaking on the stalemate over the SCB medical fire tragedy, BJD MLA Goutam Buddha Das supported the Opposition’s protest, demanding accountability from the state government.

Speaking on the issue, Das termed the incident a “serious matter” and said the situation in the Assembly reflects public concern. He stated that while disruptions are not always desirable, the gravity of the issue justifies strong protest.

“The Health Minister must come forward and clarify the situation to the people. When such a major incident occurs in Odisha’s largest medical college, it is unacceptable that no visible action has been taken against those responsible,” he said.

Alleging attempts to shield those accountable, the BJD leader said, “If the government fails to act and the Health Minister does not take responsibility, it raises serious questions. If such a tragedy does not lead to accountability, it is deeply unfortunate.”

He further demanded strict action against officials responsible for the incident, including senior authorities such as the hospital superintendent.

Congress MLA Mangu Khilla targeted the state government, saying that several days have passed since the tragedy, yet no concrete action has been taken by the government.

“The Health Department is not functioning properly. There is disorder across medical institutions in Odisha, and urgent reforms are needed,” he added.

Placing key demands, Khilla said the Opposition is seeking immediate corrective measures in the healthcare system, compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased, and strict action against those responsible. He also demanded the resignation of the Health Minister, stating that accountability must be fixed.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP MLA Manas Kumar Dutta criticised the opposition parties for the disruptions of the House and said the fire incident is unfortunate, but politicising it is condemnable.

He added that the government is committed to ensuring such incidents do not recur, and strict action will be taken against those found responsible.

–IANS

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