MP CM blames Centre for doing little in Bhopal case

Says real culprits of gas tragedy not punished.

The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has planned a three-pronged strategy to help the families of Bhopal gas disaster.

Apart from pursuing legal action in the district court, high court and the apex court for getting due compensation for the families, the government would also press for more stringent punishment and fix the responsibility of the disaster on the ‘real’ culprits.

Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan in an exclusive interview told Business Standard on Monday, “The real culprits have not been punished and the disaster-affected families have not yet been given justice even after 26 years. The state government will do everything possible to get justice for the victims.”

He blamed the Centre for doing little in these years. The Centre initially rejected the state government’s Rs 981- crore action plan for rehabilitation comprising medical, economic, social and environmental components. However, the Centre has started clearing the project in stages, he informed.

Chouhan, who attended the meeting convened by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to review agri credit, said the government had received recommendations from an expert committee appointed by him to explore various options in the wake of the recent court judgement.

“The committee has made a suggestion to take a legal action for seeking increase in compensation. After the tragedy, the then Congress government at the Centre had taken the matter in its hands. The offences were registered under section 304 and 304 (A) of the IPC. However, the apex court allowed conversion of offences against the Indian accused from culpable homicide not amounting to murder (section 304 part II of IPC) to a rash and negligent act causing death (section 304 A IPC),” he said.

“While the jail term for culpable homicide is up to 10 years, the maximum sentence that could be awarded for rash and negligent act is only up to two years. Thus a fresh legal action can be explored,” Chouhan added.

On the recommendations of the expert committee, Chauhan said the government would challenge the 1996 judgement and review order of the apex court. It would also seek to revive the charges against the accused in the gas leak case. An appeal would also be filed against the June 7 verdict of the Chief Judicial Magistrate in the case.

The chief minister said the government has also requested the Centre that the Central Bureau of Investigation be asked to file a curative petition to book the real accused and fix responsibility on the guilty.

About Warren Anderson, the former chairman of Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), Chauhan said the government would soon set up a fact-finding committee to look into the issue. The 89-year-old Anderson, who lives in the US, left the country soon after the tragedy and was declared an absconder. Chauhan said the state government would write to the Centre asking it to file a supplementary charge sheet against Anderson.

On the role of former chief minister Arjun Singh, Chouhan dared the Congress leader to break his silence and come out with the truth before the nation. “Arjun Singh will have to make it clear whether allowing Anderson to leave Bhopal was his decision or he acted on the direction of somebody else. The former state chief secretary, who followed the orders with regard to organising the plane for Anderson, is not alive. Arjun Singh cannot escape from his responsibility as he will have to speak out the truth,” he said.

On the EGoM’s decision on the cleaning up to be carried out by the state government, Chauhan said the government had already identified a site in Pithampura for the same. “People have opposed the proposed site. However, the government is prepared to do the clean up job as per the EGoM’s recommendations and also according to the apex court order,” said Chauhan.