Odisha Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak resigns over SUM Hospital fire tragedy
From : B.Maharana
21 October, Bhubaneswar
Succumbing to pressure, Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabya Sachi Nayak Friday resigned from the Council of Ministers on ‘ moral ground’ four days after the SUM Hospital fire tragedy.
On October 17 , a blaze in the SUM Hospital had claimed claimed 25 lives so far while 102 persons shifted from the fealth facility are still under going treatment in various hospitals in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the resignation of Nayak stating that he had resigned from the departments of Health and Family Welfare and Information and Public Relations, on moral ground.
Patnaik said he had accepted the resignation of Nayak and sent it to Governor S C Jamir for approval.
Chief Minister has allotted the Health and Family Welfare Department to his Finance Minister Pradeep Amat while givin the additional charge of Informaton and Public Relations Department to Forest Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh.
Later, Nayak in his brief reaction only said , “ I have resigned owning moral responsibility”.
Ever since the hospital fire tragedy, Nayak was under tremendous pressure with the Opposition political parties, demanding his resignation on the ground that he has vested interest with the SUM hospital as his wife was serving in the institution, which runs the hospital.
Meanwhile all most all opposition political parties welcomed the resignation though belatedly and sought the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to resign taking the ‘moral route’ as was done by his cabinet collegue.
Being the Home Minister , Chief Minister is directly responsible for the Sum hospital hospital fire tragedy , Patnaik should tender his resignation on ‘ moral grounds’said, State BJP president Basant Kymar Panda .
Though the hospital in question has been running illegally flouting the fire safety norms, the Chief Minister did not take any action against the promoter, Manoj Nayak &Co, who runs a TV news channel and language daily along with Sikhya O’Anusandhan Group of educational institutions, alleged Congress Chief Whip Tara Prasad Bahinipati.