Bhubaneswar, 20 March (H.S.): The Odisha Legislative Assembly witnessed intense uproar on Friday as opposition members demanded the resignation of Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling over the fire incident at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack that claimed 13 lives.
Due to continuous protests by opposition MLAs, the Question Hour could not be conducted. Speaker Surama Padhy was compelled to adjourn the House proceedings till 11:30 AM.
The Assembly session began at its scheduled time of 10:30 AM. The Speaker attempted to initiate the Question Hour; however, opposition legislators soon started raising slogans over the SCB Medical incident. They entered the well of the House, holding placards highlighting alleged failures of the state’s health department and demanding accountability.
Despite repeated appeals by the Speaker urging members to return to their seats and allow the proceedings to continue, the disruption persisted. With no improvement in the situation, the Speaker adjourned the House till 11:30 AM.
The opposition has been consistently pressing for the minister’s resignation, intensifying the political tensions surrounding the tragic incident.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda
