Group of ministers likely to recommend more compensation for Bhopal victims

Increased compensation to the 5.72 lakh victims, resources for environmental and social remediation and an altered administrative set-up are among the things that are expected to emerge as part of a new deal when recommendations of the nine-member group of ministers (GoM) on Bhopal are finalised on Monday.

Union home minister P Chidambaram, who has chaired four sessions of GoM over the last three days, said: “The minutes are being drawn up. Tomorrow, GoM will meet again to finalise the minutes, finalise recommendations and conclusions. I expect to send the report to the prime minister tomorrow [Monday] afternoon.”

Madhya Pradesh minister for Bhopal gas relief Babulal Gaur was upbeat about a generous helping hand from the Centre this time. “We hope much of our demands would be met,” he observed.

Officials participating in the meeting said the overall package, including the increased compensation (Rs3,058 crore have been already paid), Rs982 crore for action plan and additional assistance for health care, could add up to a neat Rs5,000 crore.

As GoM took up health- and compensation-related issues in its fourth and final session, Chidambaram was “generous” but “thorough” in his approach. He was willing to consider all requests based on sound rationale, but also indicated the Bhopal issue should come to some finality and the grievances against the Centre should end.

Sources said the conclusions of the final recommendations may also include suggesting a renewed bid to seek former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson’s extradition and a trial in India.

From the state government’s standpoint a policy decision on the government take-over of Bhopal Memorial Hospital Trust chaired by retired chief justice AM Ahmadi and its Rs600-crore hospital is a certainty.

Similarly, there was a decision to set up a joint task force between the central and state governments for environmental and social remediation, including clean up of the Union Carbide India Limited plant in Bhopal. Although there is near unanimity in GoM over the construction of a memorial at the plant site, the state government has opposed the removal of the killer plant.

The legal issues were decided on Saturday and curative petitions to seek remedy against the Supreme Court’s decisions regarding the reduction of gravity of the offence in respect of criminal liability and enhancement of the settlement amount of $470 million with regard to civil liability are on the cards.