Bhopal, May 10 (IANS). The Madhya Pradesh government has ordered an official judicial inquiry into the tragic cruise accident at the Bargi dam in Jabalpur, in which at least 13 people lost their lives earlier this month. To lead the probe, the state administration has constituted a one-member inquiry commission headed by retired High Court judge Sanjay Dwivedi.
The commission has been entrusted with the task of conducting a thorough investigation and is expected to submit its report to the government within three months. According to the notification issued by the General Administration Department under the authority of Additional Secretary Dinesh Kumar Maurya, the commission has been entrusted with the responsibility of finding out the exact causes of the accident. A major part of the investigation of this commission is to fix the accountability of the persons and officials whose negligence may have led to the disaster.
Additionally, the Commission will review the effectiveness of the rescue and relief operations conducted during and immediately after the incident. Apart from the specific details of the Bargi Dam tragedy, the State Government has also empowered the Commission to conduct a comprehensive audit of all boats, cruises and water sports activities currently operating in Madhya Pradesh. This safety audit will examine whether the vessels are following the certification and safety protocols mandated by the Inland Vessels Act of 2021 and the Boating Safety Guidelines of 2017. A long-term goal of the IAS is to establish a uniform standard operating procedure for operation and maintenance of all water-based recreational activities in the state so that such accidents can be prevented in future.
This judicial inquiry has been initiated after the initial formation of a four-member committee, which was earlier asked to submit its report within 15 days. The preliminary inquiry has indicated serious negligence at several administrative levels. Eight women, four children and one man lost their lives in the tragedy, raising widespread concerns over safety standards at popular tourist destinations. The Commission is required to complete its investigation and submit its final report within 90 days of the publication of the notification in the Madhya Pradesh Gazette, so that the victims and their families get justice in a time-bound manner.
–IANS
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