Our Correspondent / Bhubneshwar
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik last evening allotted the health portfolio to Finance Minister Pradeep Amat while Forest Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh was given the additional charge of the Department of Information and Public Relations (I&PR), earlier also held by Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak Nayak. It was done after resignation of Health Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak on moral grounds in the SUM hospital fire tragedy that left 25 patients dead and more than 100 injured,
However, opposition BJP kept up its heat on the chief minister saying as minister in-charge of home department, Patnaik is responsible for fire safety and keep on demanding his resignation.
Meanwhile, the State government last evening also removed SUM Hospital from the list of impaneled hospitals under Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana, a Central-government run health insurance scheme for the below poverty line persons also it delisted SUM as referral hospital under Odisha State Treatment Fund.