Bhopal gas tragedy: Govt reconstitutes group of ministers

With the verdict on the Bhopal gas tragedy coming under all round criticism, the government today re-constituted a group of ministers (GoM) to go into range of issues concerning the worst ever industrial disaster.

Home minister P Chidambaram will head the reconstituted panel which was earlier having Arjun Singh at the helm. Singh, who was the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh when the tragedy took place in 1984, is no longer in the government.

Other members of the panel GoM are Ghulam Nabi Azad, M Veerappa Moily, S Jaipal Reddy, Kamal Nath, Selja, MK Alagiri, Prithviraj Chavan and Jairam Ramesh, sources said.

Madhya Pradesh minister in-charge of rehabilitation will be a permanent invitee, they said.  

The GoM will examine all issues relating to Bhopal gas leakage, including remedial measures and make appropriate recommendations relating to the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the tragedy and their families.

The reconstitution of the GoM has taken place two days after the court verdict which drew widespread criticism with the political class in unison terming it as "too little, too late".

Nearly 26 years after the disaster left over 15,000 dead, former Union Carbide India chairman Keshub Mahindra and six others were on Monday sentenced to two years imprisonment.