Bhopal victims to get Rs 71.28 crore more
The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the recommendations of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on the Bhopal gas leak disaster and is set to cough up an additional Rs 71.28 crore as compensation to the victims.
The recommendations of the GoM approved by the Cabinet includes payment of ex-gratia to additional 1,703 cases of permanent disability at Rs 5 lakh and 1,783 cases of temporary disability at Rs 1 lakh, after adjustment of compensation amount already received by these victims.
It also stipulates payment of ex-gratia to 42 cases of ‘injury of utmost severity? at a total of Rs 5 lakh per victim.
The approval of the recommendations of the GoM will result in Government of India providing an ex-gratia payment of Rs 71.28 crore to the cases.
This compensation amount is in addition to Rs 669 crore which the Government has already provided for payment as per its decision in June this year.
The Government had constituted the GoM in May this year to examine all the issues relating to Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster including remediation measures and make appropriate recommendations regarding relief and rehabilitation of the victims and their families.
The GoM, in the first instance, had held meetings during 18-21 June, 2010 and made a number of recommendations.
Twenty-six years ago, thousands of people were killed in Bhopal after a plant of U.S. chemical firm Union Carbide accidentally released toxic gases. Many still continue to suffer the effects of the gas poisoning.
In a long-awaited historic verdict on June 7, 2010 a lower court convicted seven Indian former employees of Union Carbide of “causing death by negligence” and sentenced them to two years in jail.
It further imposed a fine of USD 2,100 on each of the seven former employees and convicted the former Indian arm of Union Carbide also of negligence and imposed a USD 10,600 fine.
Human Rights organisation Amnesty International officials had condemned the judgement terming it was ”too little, too late.”
The rights activists had also demanded reforms of India’s justice system and stricter laws for industrial disasters.
