Meeting for the second day in a row, the Group of Ministers (GoM) on Bhopal gas tragedy today discussed legal options available in the aftermath of the trial court judgement and reached “some tentative conclusions“.
“We discussed all pending legal issues and legal options available to the government after the judgement of trial court,” said Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who heads to the reconstituted GoM, after its meeting here.
“We heard all concerned and reached some tentative conclusions,” he told reporters but did not give details.
He said “these conclusions” will be firmed up in the report to be submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday.
The nine-member GoM was reconstituted on June 7 amid raging controversy over the quantum of punishment given to those accused in the case, with the political class in unison terming it as “too little, too late“.
It began its meeting on Friday.
Among various issues, the GoM is considering increase in compensation for those affected by the 1984 disaster.
The Planning Commission has already approved a package of Rs 982 crore for the gas disaster victims.
Chidambaram said the GoM, at the next meeting this evening, will discuss issues relating to health and how to bring healthcare to people who have suffered and “perhaps continue to suffer“.
Issues related to drinking water will also be discussed.
The Prime Minister has directed the GoM to expedite its work and asked it on June 14 to submit report within 10 days.
Showing posts with label Bhopal gas tragedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bhopal gas tragedy. Show all posts
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Judiciary let down gas victims: Moily
The Union law minister, Mr M. Veerappa Moily, on Saturday defended the Centre’s stand on the prosecution of the accused in the Bhopal gas tragedy and blamed the judiciary for delaying the case and letting former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson get away.
Mr Moily said the Supreme Court verdict had reduced the incident to a “car accident”.
Mr Moily was in fact referring to the statement of the then Chief Justice of India, Mr A.M. Ahmadi, who is blamed for diluting the charges in the case. Mr Ahmadi had said, “There is no concept of vicarious liability. If my driver is driving and meets with a fatal accident, I don’t become liable to be prosecuted under 304-II,” he said.
“The CBI had filed charges under (IPC) Section 304 (II) under which the maximum punishment is 10 years. But the highest court (headed by Mr Ahmadi), in a review petition, converted it to 304 (A) which is actually meant for a car accident, truck accident,” the law minister told reporters in Bengaluru.
Section 304 (II) of the IPC is culpable homicide not amounting to murder while 304(A) is causing death due to negligence.
Mr Moily said the Supreme Court verdict had reduced the incident to a “car accident”.
Mr Moily was in fact referring to the statement of the then Chief Justice of India, Mr A.M. Ahmadi, who is blamed for diluting the charges in the case. Mr Ahmadi had said, “There is no concept of vicarious liability. If my driver is driving and meets with a fatal accident, I don’t become liable to be prosecuted under 304-II,” he said.
“The CBI had filed charges under (IPC) Section 304 (II) under which the maximum punishment is 10 years. But the highest court (headed by Mr Ahmadi), in a review petition, converted it to 304 (A) which is actually meant for a car accident, truck accident,” the law minister told reporters in Bengaluru.
Section 304 (II) of the IPC is culpable homicide not amounting to murder while 304(A) is causing death due to negligence.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Facing Bhopal flak, Centre rejigs GoM
The Bhopal gas tragedy verdict continued to roil the political firmament, forcing the Centre to reconstitute a Group of Ministers on Wednesday to go into a “range of issues” on the world’s worst industrial disaster in 1984, including relief and rehabilitation for the victims.
The Union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, will head the 10-member body.
The GoM under Mr Chidambaram will comprise Union ministers, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mr Jairam Ramesh, Mr S. Jaipal Reddy, Mr M.K. Alagiri and Mr Kamal Nath.
The Madhya Pradesh minister in charge of rehabilitation will be part of the GoM.
The decision to reconstitute the GoM came amid a growing uproar as more skeletons tumbled out of how former Union Carbide Corporation chairman Warren Anderson was given bail immediately after his December 1984 arrest.
Meanwhile, with questions being raised over its role in Anderson’s non-extradition in Bhopal case, the external affairs ministry said it has time and again requested for his extradition, which has been turned down by the US for want of more “evidential links”.
Maintaining that the ministry has “renewed the request for an extradition on a number of occasions from the time it was first made in 2003 to September 2008, when the last request was made,” a senior official said the MEA will “proceed on the basis of the collective decision of the government” on the issue.
“We will proceed on the basis of the collective decision of the government now. The government of India will take a decision how to move forward, legal authorities will be consulted... Government of India will take a decision, and we will proceed accordingly.”
The Union home minister, Mr P. Chidambaram, will head the 10-member body.
The GoM under Mr Chidambaram will comprise Union ministers, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mr Jairam Ramesh, Mr S. Jaipal Reddy, Mr M.K. Alagiri and Mr Kamal Nath.
The Madhya Pradesh minister in charge of rehabilitation will be part of the GoM.
The decision to reconstitute the GoM came amid a growing uproar as more skeletons tumbled out of how former Union Carbide Corporation chairman Warren Anderson was given bail immediately after his December 1984 arrest.
Meanwhile, with questions being raised over its role in Anderson’s non-extradition in Bhopal case, the external affairs ministry said it has time and again requested for his extradition, which has been turned down by the US for want of more “evidential links”.
Maintaining that the ministry has “renewed the request for an extradition on a number of occasions from the time it was first made in 2003 to September 2008, when the last request was made,” a senior official said the MEA will “proceed on the basis of the collective decision of the government” on the issue.
“We will proceed on the basis of the collective decision of the government now. The government of India will take a decision how to move forward, legal authorities will be consulted... Government of India will take a decision, and we will proceed accordingly.”
