Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has extended the tenure of the judicial commission probing the tragic fire incident at the Trauma Care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack that claimed several lives on March 16 this year.
According to a notification issued by the Home (Special Section) Department, the inquiry being conducted by retired district judge Laxmidhar Biswal is still in progress and required additional time for completion.
The judicial commission was originally constituted through a government notification issued on March 16, 2026, to investigate the circumstances leading to the fire mishap at the premier government-run hospital.
The tenure of the commission was scheduled to expire on May 15, 2026. However, exercising powers under the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952, and the Orissa Commission of Inquiry Rules, 1979, the state government amended the earlier notification and extended the deadline for submission of the inquiry report till July 15, 2026.
The amendment substitutes the earlier stipulation directing the commission to complete the probe “within 60 days” with a revised deadline of “within 15th July, 2026”, the notification stated.
The fire incident at the Trauma Care ICU of SCB Medical College and Hospital on March 16 had triggered widespread concern over fire safety and emergency preparedness in government healthcare institutions across the state.
