Bhubaneswar: A 49-member joint delegation of opposition parties met Odisha Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati at the Lok Bhavan and submitted a memorandum demanding stringent action over the recent fire incident at SCB Medical College and Hospital that claimed 13 lives.
The delegation comprised leaders from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Indian National Congress, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation, All India Forward Bloc, Samajwadi Party, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction), Samata Kranti Dal, and Rashtriya Janata Dal, among others.
Senior leaders present included BJD State Vice-President Debi Prasad Mishra, Odisha Congress President Bhakta Charan Das, CPI State Secretary Dr. Prashant Kumar Mishra, CPI(M) State Secretary Suresh Chandra Panigrahi, CPI(ML) Liberation State Secretary Yudhisthir Mahapatra, and other prominent leaders across parties.
In the memorandum, the opposition termed the deaths in the fire incident as “institutional murder” and held the administration accountable for alleged lapses in safety and emergency response.
Key demands raised by the delegation include:
Immediate removal of the Health Minister from the Council of Ministers
Arrest of the hospital superintendent and all officials found responsible
A judicial inquiry led by a High Court judge, with the report to be made public without delay
Compensation of ₹1 crore to each deceased’s family and a government job to one member
Free and advanced medical treatment for all injured patients
The delegation also called for urgent fire safety audits across all government hospitals in Odisha to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
The Governor assured the delegation that their memorandum would be examined and appropriate steps taken as per constitutional provisions, sources said.
