BHUBANESWAR: The Opposition BJP and Congress on Monday demanded resignation of Energy Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra over the Ganjam bus tragedy in which 10 passengers were electrocuted and 32 seriously injured. “The Energy Minister should step down on moral grounds and the Chief Executive Officer of Southco should be arrested for this gross negligence,” said State BJP spokesman Golak Mohapatra. President of OPCC Niranjan Patnaik said there is no point in one department blaming other. The Government as a whole should be held responsible for the death of 10 innocent people.
Describing the tragedy as man-made, the BJP said the incident could have been avoided and precious lives of those who got electrocuted could have been saved had Southco taken timely action to fix the sagging wire of the 11 KV line.
Though the State Government claimed to have utilised huge fund on restoration of distribution infrastructure in Ganjam and other southern Odisha districts affected by cyclones Hudhud and Phailin, the Sunday bus tragedy exposed the quality of restoration works undertaken by the Government. Claiming that the Centre had given generous assistance to the State for restoration of infrastructure in power sector, Mohapatra said the time has come for a thorough probe into the repair works.
Coming down heavily on the Government for lack of burn unit and trauma care centre in MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, the BJP leader said the Centre has provided Rs 150 crore for modernisation of the premier institute which is catering to the health need of southern and central Odisha districts.