Published: Tuesday, Jun 15, 2010, 0:11 IST
By Harish Gupta | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_upset-sonia-gandhi-forces-18th-group-of-ministers-meet-on-bhopal_1396498
With the political storm over the Bhopal gas tragedy verdict intensifying, Union home minister P Chidambaram has announced a group of ministres (GoM) meet on Friday, June 18.
These include thThe date was set after prime minister (PM) Manmohan Singh directed Chidambaram to give a report to the cabinet after assessing the options and remedies available to the government on the issue. en Union Carbide (UC) chairman Warren Anderson’s extradition, relief for victims, and who shall bear the cost of cleaning up the still-contaminated premises and surroundings of the UC plant. At least Rs100 crore is required for the operation, but Dow Chemicals, the new owners of Union Carbide, are not willing to shell out the amount.
Two factors made the PM institute the GoM. First, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi was reportedly upset that neither the Centre nor the Madhya Pradesh government took effective steps to resolve the legal tangle. Second, the BJP continues its vicious attack on the government.
A cabinet secretariat source told DNA that since 1992, GoMs on the gas tragedy have met 17 times. The main issues have been medical check-up and rehabilitation of survivors, cleanup of the factory site, provision of clean drinking water, and Anderson’s extradition. But no issue has been resolved.
The last GoM met on June 11, 2008, under then human resource development minister Arjun Singh’s leadership. In this meeting, the state government submitted an action plan, the implementation of which was to cost Rs980 crore. The GoM forwarded the plan to the Planning Commission, its fate hidden in dusty files. The 18th GoM, however, may reach far-reaching decisions, obviously under intense public pressure.
