BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY
Government is committed
to provide all possible help to Bhopal Gas victims. It has created
an office of the Welfare Commissioner under the Bhopal Gas Leak
Disaster (Processing of Claims) Act, 1985 to adjudicate and disburse
compensation to Bhopal gas victims. In all, 10,29,431 cases were
filed by the claimants, out of which 10,29,265 cases have been
disposed of by the end of 31st October, 2002. An amount
of Rs.1521.56 crore has been disbursed as compensation. CBI has
filed a criminal case in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate,
Bhopal against Union Carbide Corporation and others. 89 prosecution
witnesses have been examined, so far. According to information
received from CBI, a revised request for extradition of Mr. Warren
Anderson is under final stages of preparation. For the medical,
social, economic and environmental rehabilitation of Bhogal Gas
victims, the Central Government had approved a five year Action
Plan with an outlay of Rs.258 crore. This outlay was to be shared
between the government of India and the State Government of Madhya
Pradesh in the ratio of 75:25. The central Government has already
released its entire share of Rs.193.50 crore. The State Government
is implementing the Action Plan.
This information
was given by Shri Tapan Sikar, Minister of State for Chemicals
& Fertilizers in a written reply to a question in the Lok
Sabha today.
