Bhopal GoM will fix responsibility, indicates Chavan

NEW DELHI - The Group of Ministers (GoM) on the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy will look into all “concerns”, which include the fixing of responsibility for the world’s worst industrial accident, Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan Friday hinted.

Interacting with reporters, Chavan, a member of the panel, was asked if the main culprits behind the Bhopal gas tragedy will go unpunished.

Saying that he would not give a “direct answer”, the minister said that the GoM’s agenda listed for the daily meetings till Monday had various subjects.

“So, let me assure you that all the concerns related to the tragedy have been listed, and will be debated and discussed,” he said.

The GoM held the first of its daily meetings here Friday and discussed relief and rehabilitation issues for the victims.

The panel is to meet again Saturday and Sunday before submitting its report ahead of the 10-day deadline set by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday.

An estimated 20,000 people have been killed since toxic gases leaked from the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal on the night of Dec 2-3, 1984 — over 3,000 of them on the same night.

There has been a lot of controversy over the visit of the Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson in December 1984, and his safe return to United States, which was allegedly a pre-condition for his visit to India.

Since then, India has made several unsuccessful requests to the US for Anderson’s extradition.