Odisha Opposition Escalates Over SCB Hospital Fire With Protests and Governor Appeal

Overview

• The Assembly, which met Monday, was adjourned multiple times as BJD, Congress and CPI(M) MLAs demanded Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling resign over the SCB Hospital fire that killed 12 patients.
• Following Monday's disruptions, about 10 opposition parties rallied at Bhubaneswar's Lower PMG, pressing for the minister's ouster and arrests for alleged negligence at the Cuttack facility.
• A delegation then submitted a memorandum to Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati seeking Rs 1 crore for each bereaved family, a government job for one kin, a judicial inquiry by a High Court judge, and a statewide hospital fire-safety audit.
• The state has suspended four officers, transferred others, announced Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia per victim, and launched a judicial commission led by a retired district judge along with a Development Commissioner fact-finding team, which the opposition rejects as insufficient.
• Treasury bench members praised Mahaling during a budget debate that proceeded after an opposition walkout, yet routine House business has not run since March 17, signaling a deepening standoff over accountability and safety in public hospitals.