MP boat tragedy: State government forms judicial probe panel; report expected in 3 months

The cruise boat, operated by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department, capsized on April 30 in the Bargi Dam in Jabalpur district, killing 13 persons.

The Madhya Pradesh government has constituted a one-member judicial commission to conduct a probe into a cruise boat accident in the Bargi Dam that claimed 13 lives, a senior official said.

Rescue personnel conduct a search operation after the cruise boat tragedy that occurred on Thursday, in Jabalpur. (PTI File)

The panel will submit its report to the government in three months, the official said on Sunday.

The cruise boat, operated by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department, capsized on April 30 in the Bargi Dam in Jabalpur district, killing 13 persons, including women and children, while 28 others were rescued.

The commission, formed on Sunday under the chairmanship of retired high court judge Sanjay Dwivedi, will probe the causes of the accident, examine whether adequate rescue and relief measures were taken, and fix responsibility, the official said.

It will also make provisions for the audit and certification of boats, cruise and water sports activities under the Inland Vessels Act, 2021, and NDMA Boat Safety Guidelines, 2017.

Additionally, the commission will make Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the operation and maintenance of boats, cruise and water sports activities and for the formation of a Quick Response Team at places where such activities are held, the official said.

The commission will complete the probe and submit its report to the government within three months from the date of notification in the state gazette, the official added.

A judicial commission is considered important because it carries greater public credibility and institutional weight than a routine departmental inquiry.