Bhubaneswar: Proceedings in the Odisha Assembly were disrupted for the fifth consecutive day Monday as the Opposition BJD and Congress demanded the resignation of Health minister Mukesh Mahaling over the death of 12 patients in the fire at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack March 16.
As soon as the House assembled for the Question Hour at 10.30 am, BJD and Congress MLAs trooped into the well of the House holding placards and shouting slogans. They demanded the resignation of Mahaling on moral grounds over the death of patients at the government facility.
The agitating members attempted to climb to the Speaker’s podium and raised slogans like ‘Ram Naam Satya Hai’ and “(CM) Mohan Majhi Hai Hai” when Speaker Surama Padhy allowed Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan and Health Minister Mahaling to reply to certain questions. The ministers’ replies were not audible in the din.
Unable to run the House, the Speaker adjourned the proceedings thrice till 4 pm. The Speaker also convened an all-party meeting to resolve the matter and bring back normalcy in the House.
The fire incident took place at the trauma care ICU of the state’s premier government hospital in Cuttack early March 16, where at least 12 patients lost their lives and 11 others suffered burn injuries.
BJD member Byomakesh Ray said that the Health minister must own responsibility and resign as the fire incident took place at a state-run facility due to negligence.
“Instead of taking action against the persons responsible for the fire mishap, the government has been shielding them. Suspending four junior officers and transferring some others is not at all a punishment. It is just eyewash,” Ray said.
BJP MLA Irasis Acharya argued that the state government has already taken several measures like setting up a judicial commission, engaging a high-level committee to probe into the incident, placing four officials under suspension and transferring certain officers from key positions.
“Resignation of the minister will not solve the problem, which has remained unaddressed since the previous BJD government. They had not taken any measures to prevent fire in the state’s premier hospital,” Acharya said, alleging that the Opposition is doing politics.
Rejecting the BJD claim that a health minister had resigned under similar situation in 2016, BJP MLA Santosh Khatua said, “Why should we follow BJD. The government will take action only based on the probe findings.”
