New Delhi: Union Cabinet on Thursday accepted all the recommendations of the Group of Minister on Bhopal gas leak tragedy and will file a curative petition to challenge the judgement by a Bhopal trial court in the gas leak tragedy.
The curative petition will be filed in the Supreme Court. The Government will also file to petition to refer gas leak tragedy case in which over 15,000 people were killed and more 5 lakh affected to a sessions court. The Centre will also press for extradition of former Union Carbide CEO Warren Anderson from the United States of America.
"A revision application will be filed in the High Court against the judgement of the trial court," said Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni.
The GoM has recommended a total aid package of Rs 1,265 crore for the Bhopal victims which will be given by the Government of India.
Soni said that the Government has accepted a remediation payout of Rs 310 crore and cleaning up of toxic waste at the Bhopal Union Carbide plant. The aid package of Rs 272 crore for medical and rehabilitation of gas victims has also been accepted.
The recommendations include enhancement of ex-gratia to Rs 10 lakh to the relatives of those who died, Rs 5 lakh each for those with permanent disability, Rs 2 lakh for those with cancer and Rs 1 lakh for those were temporarily disabled.
The Attorney General will also examine if a curative petition can be filed against the compensation of $ 470 million by Union Carbide.
The Government will also like to figure out if Dow Chemicals, which bought over Union carbide, is to be held responsible for clean up or other liabilities. A case is already pending against Dow Chemical in Madhya Pradesh.
The Centre through Department of Biotechnology will also take over Bhopal hospital and the Indian Council of Medical Research will set up within 90 days a research centre.
However, the victims of the tragedy dismissed the GoM recommendations as too little.
"Manmohan Singh has been the Prime Minister for many years now. We have met him on many occasions but he has never kept his promises. We have no hopes from him but hope to get justice through our struggle," said one of the victims, Rashida Bi who had come to Delhi to demonstrate against the Bhopal gas leak verdict.
"The recommendations have been a complete betrayal. Just like Obama (US President Barack Obama) is standing for his people, our Prime Minister should stand up for us and listen to us, listen to people who have come all the way from Bhopal and give them a fair chance and rectify the GoM recommendations accordingly," said Bhopal gas victim activist Rachna Dhingra.
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