CPM for All-party Meeting to Discuss GoM Recommendations

The CPM has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to hold an all-party meeting to discuss recommendations of the ministerial panel on the Bhopal gas tragedy before the cabinet takes any decision on it, said media reports.

“The government should call a meeting of all political parties and representatives of the gas victims to discuss the recommendations of the (Group of Minister) GoM before the cabinet takes a decision,” a CPM statement was quoted as saying.

The party insisted that Dow Chemicals, which overtook Union Carbide in 2001, should be made liable for the damages and compensation pertaining to Bhopal gas tragedy, reports said.

“There is no serious effort to make Dow Chemical liable for the damages and compensation. The entire expenses for the remediation and environmental clean up at the Bhopal factory site should be borne by Dow,” the CPM said.

However, the CPM welcomes recommendations of GoM for moving a curative petition against a Supreme Court order diluting charges against Indian accused, said reports.

The party said that it also ‘welcome’ restarting of the Bhopal unit of the Indian Council of Medical Research and takeover of the Bhopal Memorial Hospital Trust by the government, reports said.

The CPM has found flaws in the relief package according to which the panel has recommended Rs 10 lakh to the next of kin of the dead, Rs 5 lakh for the permanently disabled and Rs 3 lakh for those with partial disability.

“Compensation package offered is based on flawed estimation of deaths and injuries and the amount of compensation offered remains meagre,” it said.

(Based on internet reports)