BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) on Tuesday demanded a judicial probe into the Sum Hospital fire mishap which has claimed 20 lives so far. The party also demanded compensation of Rs 25 lakh and a job to the next of the kin of the deceased in the fire accident.
Holding Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak responsible for the fire mishap, OPCC president Prasad Harichandan criticised the State Government for not learning anything from the fire incident in AMRI hospital, Kolkata in 2011 in which at least 90 people were killed.
Harichandan questioned how no objection certificate was given to the hospital in the absence of adequate fire fighting equipment. Besides the judicial probe, he said team of specialists should also inquire into the incident.
Senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik also demanded a judicial probe into the incident. Stating that the chief minister and health minister should be held responsible for the mishap, he demanded their immediate resignation.