A large number of employees and students of nearly 1,000 private technical educational institutions on Thursday held a massive protest rally demanding unconditional release of Institute of Medical Sciences and SUM Hospital chairman Manoj Ranjan Nayak here in the city.
The agitators under the banner of the Technical/Professional Institutions’ Association, an umbrella body of six technical and medical associations, took out a rally from Master Canteen Square and organised a protest meeting at the lower PMG.
They latter submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister highlighting their grievances.
“We demand accountability to be fixed. law should be equal for all irrespective of private or Government employees. Why concerned Government authorities should not be held responsible in case of SUM fire tragedy, Nagada malnutrition deaths, death of children due to Japanese Encephalitis in Malkangiri and bus mishaps,” questioned Odisha Private Engineering College Association honorary secretary Binod Dash.
He further stated that Nayak’s arrest would send a wrong message to the entrepreneurs who are interested in setting up of projects in the State.
Claiming that SUM Hospital had fire safety NOC from 2013 but still it was victimised, another association member said, “In case of AMRI Hospital fire tragedy in 2011 in West Bengal, the owner was arrested because of political reasons as the owner of the hospital was the treasurer of the BJP in West Bengal.”
“later, when the owner moved the Supreme Court, the court said anybody who is not directly involved in the day to day affairs of an organisation cannot be held responsible. So the arrest of Prof Nayak is contempt of court,” said he.