Bhubaneswar: In the aftermath of the devastating fire at Srirama Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital on March 16, the Odisha government on Wednesday has taken disciplinary action by suspending four officials for alleged negligence in duty.
Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, the suspended officials include Prakash Kumar Jena, Deputy Fire Officer of Cuttack Circle; Sanjeeb Kumar Behera, Assistant Fire Officer of Cuttack Circle; Abhinav Prusti, Station Officer at SCB Medical College and Hospital; and Ranjan Kumar Biswal, Assistant Executive Engineer of the SCB Sub-Division under Cuttack G.E.D.
The action follows preliminary findings pointing to lapses in fire safety management and response, which are suspected to have contributed to the scale of the tragedy.
Earlier, the Chief Minister had constituted a fact-finding committee under the chairmanship of the Development Commissioner to probe the incident and ascertain accountability. The committee is tasked with examining the cause of the fire, identifying lapses, and recommending corrective measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
The fire incident, which resulted in multiple fatalities, has raised serious concerns over fire safety preparedness in major government healthcare institutions across the state.
Further action is expected based on the findings of the inquiry committee.
