GoM to ask CBI to proceed against Dow Chemicals

A day after a Delhi court accepted the CBI request seeking extradition of former Union Carbide Corporation chairman Warren Anderson.

A day after a Delhi court accepted the CBI request seeking extradition of former Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) chairman Warren Anderson an accused in the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy case from the United States,a group of ministers (GoM) on Thursday decided to ask the CBI to file an application in the Madhya Pradesh High Court on the issue of liability of Dow Chemicals for the accident.

The GoM decision follows a clarification sought by the agency on the matter after Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium gave an opinion to the government to ask the agency to file an application in the ongoing matter itself rather than file a fresh case to charge Dow Chemicals,which bought UCC some years ago,for its liability for the tragedy.

At a meeting of the GoM chaired by Home Minister P Chidambaram to review the compensation for the victims kin and steps needed to be taken to remove toxic waste from the site of the accident,it was disclosed that the Law Commission of India was already examining changes required in the Indian Law of Torts to deal with similar accidents in future. Union Law Minister M Veerappa Moily was also present at the meeting.

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The GoM also asked the Madhya Pradesh government to release compensation to those victims of the tragedy who are yet to receive any money from the government.

It also granted in-principle approval to the state government for construction of a memorial at the disaster site if no toxic material was found there. A team of the Ministry of Environment would have to give a clearance after examination that there was no toxic material there.

The GoM asked the Madhya Pradesh government to release compensation by June to those victims who are yet to receive any money, Madhya Pradesh Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation Babulal Gaur told reporters after the GoM meeting.

Gaur said the GoM also asked the state government to submit a plan for purchase of medicine and medical equipment for the Bhopal memorial hospital.

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