Odisha Excise Minister A U Singhdeo on Friday resigned from the cabinet on moral grounds following Monday's hooch tragedy in Cuttack and Khurda districts which claimed 33 lives.

Three died at a private hospital  and another person at a village under Cuttack Sadar police station limits, official sources said.

S C B Medical College and Hospital emergency officer B N Mohapatra said six patients were admitted with eye problem after drinking methyl alcohol.

The condition of three others at the ICU were critical, he said.

Singhdeo sent his resignation through a special messenger to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's office which was accepted.

"A U Singdeo sent his letter of resignation to me on Friday.

He has expressed his desire to quit the cabinet on moral grounds. I have forwarded his letter to the governor for acceptance," the chief minister told reporters.

Singdeo, on his part, said, "I personally felt that to pave the way for a free and fair enquiry, I should resign." 

On whether he was under any pressure to resign, he said, "under the circumstances my conscience felt that I should step down on moral grounds. I am sure truth will prevail. Police and judicial enquiry will find the truth." 

Yesterday, Cuttack district collector Girish S N had expressed doubt as to whether it was a case of hooch tragedy saying the people died after drinking spurious medicines and not liquor and many cough syrup bottles were seized from a joint in Mahidharpada area where the tragedy occurred

Perhaps referring to this, the minister said, "The medicine consumed by the people had liquor input so this unfortunate incident took place."

The chief minister took stock of the situation while 10 ambulances went around the affected villages in Cuttack and Khurda districts, a senior health department official said.

Patnaik, who was earlier scheduled to visit the medical college hospital, cancelled it in view of a plan by Opposition political parties for a demonstration.

Excise officials raided 27 places and arrested 27 people for storing cough syrups with methyl alcohol contents, while 20 bottles of Epee-Carm and Cinnamon liquid were seized from chemist shops, official sources said.

A judicial inquiry was ordered earlier and eight persons were arrested.

Opposition political parties, including the Congress and BJP, have been demanding resignation of the chief minister and Singhdeo holding the BJD government responsible for the liquor tragedy.

"The chief minister must step down owning responsibility for death of 34 poor people," Odisha Pradesh Congress President Niranjan Patnaik said.

State BJP president Jual Oram also made a similar demand.

Singhdeo is the sixth minister to quit since BJD came to power for the third time in 2009.

In February last year, Pramila Malik had resigned as women and child development minister, while Pravin Bhanjdeo, Damodar Rout and Bijat R Singh Hariha had been dropped in May last year from the ministry.

Similarly Pradip Maharathy had resigned last month as agriculture minister over the Pipili rape episode.