Odisha govt suspends four officials over SCB Medical College fire tragedy

Disciplinary action follows preliminary findings of lapses after fire at SCB Medical College in Cuttack that killed 12; judicial probe also ordered

A couple of days after the fire at SCB Medical College and Hospital (MCH) in Cuttack that claimed 12 lives, the Odisha government on Wednesday initiated disciplinary action against four officials amid a political storm in the Assembly over the tragedy.

 

Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, four officials have been suspended for their alleged negligence in fire safety management and response. Those placed under suspension are deputy fire officer Prakash Kumar Jena, assistant fire officer (Cuttack circle) Sanjib Kumar Behera, SCB MCH station officer Abhinav Prusty, and SCB sub-division assistant executive engineer Ranjan Kumar Biswal.

 

 

The action was taken following preliminary findings that pointed to serious lapses, which may have exacerbated the scale of the disaster. A major fire broke out, possibly due to an electric short circuit, in the Trauma Care ICU of SCB MCH in the early hours of Monday. The patients who died were critically ill on ventilators and oxygen support. Apart from the fatalities, three more patients were injured and 11 hospital staff sustained injuries while evacuating patients.

 

The Chief Minister had constituted a six-member fact-finding committee under Development Commissioner Deoranjan Kumar Singh to investigate the incident. The panel included Fire Services IG Umashankar Dash, chief electrical inspector Barada Prasanna Dash, EIC (Urban Public Health) Biranchi Narayan Pradhan, chief engineer (Buildings) Priyabrata Samantaray, and director of medical education and training Dr Santosh Kumar Mishra.

 

The committee was tasked with conducting a detailed on-site inspection, identifying lapses, determining the exact cause of the fire, and recommending corrective measures to prevent recurrence. “The disciplinary action has been initiated as per the panel's initial fact-finding report. Further probe is underway. The CM has also ordered a Judicial Commission of Inquiry headed by retired district judge Laxmidhar Biswal to investigate the tragic fire incident,” CMO sources said.

 

Earlier in the day, the tragedy sparked a massive uproar in the Odisha Assembly, with Opposition parties targeting the government over alleged negligence. BJD legislators staged a protest by carrying a mock bier on the Assembly premises with chants of “Ram Nam Satya Hai…Hari Nam Satya Hai” to portray what they described as the “demise” of the Health Department.

 

“The healthcare system has completely collapsed in the state. The Health Department was earlier in a coma and it has now died. The department has stopped functioning altogether and justice delivery in the state has also broken down,” said Arun Sahoo, a BJD MLA.

 

Leader of Opposition and BJD president Naveen Patnaik demanded immediate resignation of Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling. Calling the incident “a stark reminder of crumbling safety standards” in the state’s premier healthcare institution, he said the patients had come with hope but met a horrific end due to administrative negligence. Patnaik demanded that the ex gratia be increased from ₹25 lakh to ₹50 lakh for each victim’s family.

 

Congress legislature party leader Ramachandra Kadam echoed the demand, stating that the government must be held accountable beyond mere expressions of condolence. The Assembly witnessed repeated disruptions, with BJD and Congress members staging protests and forcing adjournments. The House could function for only 22 minutes during the pre-lunch session.

 

Responding to the criticism, Mahaling issued a statement and defended the government, asserting that steps are being taken to strengthen fire safety infrastructure in hospitals. He informed the House that ₹320 crore was spent in 2025-26 on fire prevention systems and ₹400 crore has been allocated for the 2026-27 financial year. This is the first time dedicated budgetary provisions have been made for hospital fire safety, the Health Minister said.