India increases compensation for Bhopal victims

NEW DELHI - India Thursday announced a hike in compensation for the Bhopal gas tragedy victims. It also said it is examining ways to extradite then Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson, whom a Bhopal court has declared a proclaimed offender.

Announcing the decisions, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni said the cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, had decided that Rs.10 lakh would be paid to the next of kin of the dead, Rs.500,000 to those suffering permanent disability and Rs.200,000 to those suffering from cancer or renal failure.

This was in line with the recommendations of a Group of Ministers (GoM) on the Bhopal tragedy headed by Home Minister P. Chidambaram.

Soni said that the attorney general will be examining if a “curative petition” can be filed in the Supreme Court for revising the compensation paid to the Bhopal victims.

The government is also looking at liablity of Dow Chemicals, which has acquired Union Carbide, she said.

The GoM was reconstituted late last month, ahead of the June 7 verdict of a Bhopal court sentencing seven Indian executives of Union Carbide to only two years in jail. They were immediately granted bail.

The judgement sparked outrage in the country, prompting the prime minister to direct the GoM to present its report within 10 days. After holding four sessions last week, the GoM presented its report Monday.

The GoM was originally set up in 2008.