GoM to submit final report on Bhopal today
New Delhi: After meeting for three consecutive days, the empowered Group of Ministers (GoM) will submit their final report on the Bhopal gas tragedy, including recommendations for enhanced compensation for the victims and on how to deal with the contamination caused by the deadly Methyl isocyanate gas leak, to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday.
On Sunday, the GoM discussed contamination at the Union Carbide site in Bhopal and the measures that need to be taken to get rid of it. The reconstituted GoM, headed by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram was entrusted with the task of discussing all issues relating to the Bhopal gas disaster and submittingrecommendations to the government. Monday's meeting will discuss and decide on recommending the government on the nature ofcompensation package that should be handed out to the victims of the 1984 gas tragedy in Bhopal which killed an estimated 20,000 people and injured about half-a-million. The planning commission has recommended Rs 982 crore package for the victims. Besides that, the final report will also include recommendations on legal options such as a curative petition in the Supreme Court pinning criminal and legal liability on the accused. For the moment, civil liability has been ruled out.
The GoM may also suggest the government to make efforts to extradite former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson. On Saturday, the Union Law Ministry had recommended fresh efforts to extradite Anderson.
However, the big question that is yet to be answered is with regard to the onus of cleaning up tonnes of toxic waste which is still lying at the affected site in Bhopal. The Law Ministry had suggested that the government clear-up the toxic waste itself.
Meanwhile, a political battle has broken out between the BJP and the Congress over who deserves creditfor compensation package which the Centre will be announcing. While Madhya Pradesh is ruled by the BJP, at the centre there is a Congress led United Progressive Alliance government.
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