Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Legislative Assembly was adjourned till 4 p.m. on Tuesday following protests by BJD and Congress MLAs over the deadly fire at Cuttack’s SCB Medical College and Hospital, which claimed more than 10 lives and injured 20 others.
The blaze, believed to have been triggered by a short circuit in the first-floor Trauma ICU, broke out while patients were asleep, prompting outrage among opposition legislators. The commotion began around 10:30 a.m., shortly after the House convened for Question Hour, when opposition MLAs stormed the Well, raised slogans such as “Mohan Majhi Hai Hai,” and demanded the resignation of Health & Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling. Several lawmakers also displayed placards condemning the hospital tragedy.
Despite repeated appeals from Speaker Surama Padhy to return to their seats and allow proceedings to continue, the protests showed no sign of abating. Citing the disruption, the Speaker first adjourned the House till 12 noon and later again until 4 p.m. as the ruckus persisted.
Leader of the Opposition Naveen Patnaik, who visited the hospital, described the scene as “truly horrifying.”
“More than 10 people were killed, and five are in critical condition. In our time, there was a similar incident at the SUM Hospital, and the Health Minister resigned. Therefore, the current Health Minister from the BJP should also resign. I demand Rs 50 lakh for the families of each deceased victim. They truly deserve it, and we shall take appropriate action in the future,” said Patnaik outside the Assembly to the media.
