Odisha health minister quits over hospital blaze

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha’s health and family welfare minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak resigned on Friday in the wake of the death of 23 people in a hospital fire, 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 told reporters here.

The minister put in his papers as police began interrogation of the arrested SUM Hospital owner Manoj Ranjan Nayak.

Manoj was arrested and sent to jail on Thursday. He was taken by police on a two-day remand on Friday. The opposition had accused the health minister of shielding the owner of the fireravaged hospital. PTI