Bhopal GoM wants toxic waste buried-20/6/10

Bhopal GoM wants toxic waste buried

Last updated on: June 20, 2010 17:45 IST

Tags: The Group of Ministers on Bhopal, P Chidambaram, Union Carbide Corp, IPC,

The Group of Ministers on Bhopal gas tragedy is understood to have decided on Sunday to recommend filing of a curative petition in the Supreme Court to fix criminal liability, seek extradition of former Union Carbide Corp CEO Warren Anderson and cleaning up the complex by burying the toxic waste.

Official sources said the curative petition will focus on criminal liability of the accused and seek more stringent charges as the apex court had diluted the IPC section under culpable homicide not amounting to murder against the accused to negligence on their part.

Headed by Home Minister P Chidambaram [ Images ], the Group of Ministers, which met for the third consecutive day on Sunday, favoured approaching the United States to seek extradition of former the UCC CEO to face trial in India [ Images ] in the Bhopal gas disaster case.

The tragedy, which occurred in the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984, has left over 15,000 people dead and thousands maimed.

The GoM is also likely to recommend the burying of contaminated soil at the site itself in a scientific manner and the Madhya Pradesh [ Images ] government will carry out the task for which the central government will provide financial and technical assistance, the sources said.

Chidambaram told media persons after the meeting that the GoM has covered all the subjects that were identified and is expected to submit its report to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [ Images ] on Monday.

"The minutes are being drawn up. Tomorrow, the GoM will meet again to finalise the minutes -- finalise the recommendations and conclusions. I expect to send the report to the Prime Minister tomorrow (Monday) afternoon," he said.

Chidambaram said the fourth and final session of the GoM on Sunday discussed remediation and environmental issues.

"Remediation of contaminated soil, contaminated water, the toxic waste that are at the site and the corroded plant, the corroded steel and other material," he said.

The sources said the GoM extensively discussed the issue of providing additional compensation to the victims, as the relief given so far was inadequate.

The compensation should be based on health classification like injuries suffered and the after effects of exposure to poisonous chemicals including cancer, long term diseases, disability and death of next of kin.
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