Ganjam Bus Tragedy: Odisha Opp Demands Energy Minister’s Resignation

Bhubaneswar: The Opposition BJP and Congress have demanded the resignation of Energy Minister Dibya Shankar Mishra over the Ganjam bus tragedy in which 10 passengers were electrocuted and 32 seriously injured.

“The Energy Minister should step down on moral grounds and the Chief Executive Officer of Southco should be arrested for gross negligence,” state BJP spokesman Golak Mohapatra said on Monday.

Describing the tragedy as man-made, the BJP said the incident could have been avoided and precious lives of those who got electrocuted could have been saved had Southco taken timely action to fix the sagging wire of the 11 KV line.

Criticising the state government for the lack of a burn unit and trauma care centre at MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, the BJP leader said the Centre has provided Rs 150 crore for modernisation of the premier institute which is catering to the health need of southern and central Odisha districts.

On his part, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Niranjan Patnaik said there was no point in one department blaming other. “The government as a whole should be held responsible for the death of 10 innocent people,” he said.