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Bhubaneshwar fire: Health Minister resigns; fire dept claims hospital delayed calling up

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak's resgination has been accepted.

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Monday's fire tragedy at the private hospital in Bhubaneswar has so far has claimed 23 lives.
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Odisha's Health and Family Welfare Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak on Friday resigned in the wake of death of 23 people in a hospital fire tragedy, while opposition parties asked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to follow suit on moral grounds.

"Mr Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak has sent me his letter of resignation. He has resigned on moral grounds. I have accepted it and sent it to the Governor," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said. 

Police arrested SUM hospital owner Manoj Ranjan Nayak on Thursday. Sources said the minister's resignation came barely a few hours after police began grilling Manoj Ranjan Nayak. The opposition had accused the health minister of shielding the owner of the fire-ravaged hospital.

Opposition parties, which had been demanding the Minister's head to roll since the fire tragedy took place on Monday evening, also alleged that Atanu's wife was an employee of Sikshya O Anusandhan University, headed by Manoj Nayak.

This apart, it was alleged that both Khurda District Collector Niranjan Sahoo and Director, Department of Medical Education and Training P C Mohapatra failed to take action against SUM Hospital because of the minister's close proximity with Manoj Nayak, who also hailed from Kendrapara district as the minister.

However, the minister had for the first time on Thursday admitted that there were lapses in fire safety measures in SUM Hospital where the blaze killed 23 people. The hospital had violated fire safety norms and other guidelines.

'BLAZE NEWS REPORTED 45 MINS LATER'

Director General of Fire Service in Odisha Binay Kumar Behera on Friday said the fire department was informed about the leaping flames 45 minutes after the incident.

"We were informed about the fire incident about 45 minutes after fire was detected in the dialysis ward of the hospital. Had they called the fire department immediately, the casualty would have been much less," Behera told reporters.

The official said fire safety certificate is mandatory for all government and private hospitals. "But due to lack of coordination between the authorities we still do not have a list of how many hospitals in the state are functioning without mandatory fire safety certificate," he added.

Behera said his department had repeatedly informed the appropriate agencies about the violators.

"We can only complain but cannot file an FIR until a cognisable offence is made," Behera said, adding his department had filed an FIR in connection with the erring Bhubaneswar hospital. He said his office has recently received more than 270 applications for issuance of no-objection certificate (NoC).

"But we had to refer back at least 244 of those applications for inefficient fire safety measures," Behera informed. 

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