NEW DELHI, June 21 -- The Indian government appointed Group of Ministers (GoM) on the 1984 Bhopal gas leak tragedy has recommended that the government set aside 15 billion rupees (about 300 million U.S. dollars) as relief package for those affected by the disaster, said officials on Monday.
The empowered panel has recommended 1 million rupees (20,000 U. S. dollars) to the next of kin of the dead, 500,000 rupees (10,000 U.S. dollars) for the permanently disabled and 300,000 rupees (6, 000 U.S. dollars) for those disabled partially.
At least 20,000 were killed and tens of thousands handicapped after gas leak from the Union Carbide factory in the central Indian city caused one of the worst industrial disasters in the world on Dec. 2 to 3, 1984.
The recent light sentence given to seven Indian employees of the Union Carbide by a local court in Bhopal has triggered outrage across the country.
The GoM headed by Home Minister P. Chidambaram has looked at issues, including relief and rehabilitation for the victims, with key recommendations on addressing the wrongs.
"We have dealt with all the issues, compensation, legal issues, including the issues of pursuing the extradition of Warren Anderson, the legal options available with the government of India, " Chidambaram told reporters here.
Meanwhile, an amount of 3.5 billion rupees (70 million U.S. dollars) will be allotted to clean the toxic waste at the gas plant.
The panel also cleared a proposal to clean up the plant site in Bhopal of the toxic waste, recommending that the poisonous material be buried.
The onus of cleaning up the site has been laid on the Madhya Pradesh government with financial and technical assistance from the central government.
But it will be the money of the taxpayer which will be used in the cleaning up of the factory site in Bhopal.
This means that Dow Chemicals, which took over Union Carbide in 2001, will be spared from the clean-up job that will need some 3 billion rupees.
The panel also recommended that the government take over the Bhopal Memorial Trust Hospital, which was established with the support of the Union Carbide in the aftermath of the tragedy exclusively for the disaster victims.
The GoM convened four sessions since Friday. It has recommended a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking reconsideration of its order diluting charges against the accused including the then chief of Union Carbide Warren Anderson.
The Supreme Court in 1996 had diluted the charges against the accused from culpable homicide not amounting to murder to negligence.
The report will be considered by the cabinet in a special meeting to be convened Friday.
The empowered panel has recommended 1 million rupees (20,000 U. S. dollars) to the next of kin of the dead, 500,000 rupees (10,000 U.S. dollars) for the permanently disabled and 300,000 rupees (6, 000 U.S. dollars) for those disabled partially.
At least 20,000 were killed and tens of thousands handicapped after gas leak from the Union Carbide factory in the central Indian city caused one of the worst industrial disasters in the world on Dec. 2 to 3, 1984.
The recent light sentence given to seven Indian employees of the Union Carbide by a local court in Bhopal has triggered outrage across the country.
The GoM headed by Home Minister P. Chidambaram has looked at issues, including relief and rehabilitation for the victims, with key recommendations on addressing the wrongs.
"We have dealt with all the issues, compensation, legal issues, including the issues of pursuing the extradition of Warren Anderson, the legal options available with the government of India, " Chidambaram told reporters here.
Meanwhile, an amount of 3.5 billion rupees (70 million U.S. dollars) will be allotted to clean the toxic waste at the gas plant.
The panel also cleared a proposal to clean up the plant site in Bhopal of the toxic waste, recommending that the poisonous material be buried.
The onus of cleaning up the site has been laid on the Madhya Pradesh government with financial and technical assistance from the central government.
But it will be the money of the taxpayer which will be used in the cleaning up of the factory site in Bhopal.
This means that Dow Chemicals, which took over Union Carbide in 2001, will be spared from the clean-up job that will need some 3 billion rupees.
The panel also recommended that the government take over the Bhopal Memorial Trust Hospital, which was established with the support of the Union Carbide in the aftermath of the tragedy exclusively for the disaster victims.
The GoM convened four sessions since Friday. It has recommended a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking reconsideration of its order diluting charges against the accused including the then chief of Union Carbide Warren Anderson.
The Supreme Court in 1996 had diluted the charges against the accused from culpable homicide not amounting to murder to negligence.
The report will be considered by the cabinet in a special meeting to be convened Friday.
