GoM guns for Anderson

The Group of Ministers (GoM) on the Bhopal gas tragedy, which held its last meeting here Sunday and will submit its report to the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, on Monday, will recommend filing of a curative petition in the Supreme Court to fix criminal liability, seeking extradition of former UCC chief Warren Anderson and cleaning up toxic material from the Bhopal site.

Sources close to the GoM said the curative petition in the Supreme Court would focus mainly on criminal liability of the accused and seek more stringent charges.

The court had earlier diluted the charges against Union Carbide officials — from the IPC section on culpable homicide not amounting to murder to only criminal negligence.

The GoM headed by the home minister, Mr P. Chidambram, which met for the third successive session on Sunday morning, is learnt to have suggested approaching the United States to seek extradition of UCC’s former CEO to face trial in India. The December 2-3, 1984 gas tragedy left over 15,000 dead and thousands maimed.

The GoM is likely to recommend burying of contaminated soil at the site in a scientific manner, putting the onus on the Madhya Pradesh government to carry out the task, with assistance from the Centre.

Briefing reporters, Mr Chidambaram said the GoM had gone into all aspects of the tragedy.

“We covered all subjects we had identified in the beginning. The minutes are being drawn up, and tomorrow the GoM will meet again at 10 am to finalise the minutes and the conclusions. I expect we will be able to send the report to the Prime Minister tomorrow afternoon.”

Sources said the GoM extensively discussed providing additional compensation to victims as the relief so far was inadequate. The recommendations may also include victims’ classification on the basis of health indices like injuries suffered and aftereffects of exposure to poisonous chemicals.