GoM to decide with whom buck stops
The group of ministers (GoM) on the Bhopal gas tragedy, which met for a second consecutive day on Saturday, is trying to decide on whom responsibility should be fixed for the tragedy and its aftermath. The corporate affairs ministry has been asked to find out the details, sources disclosed.
Certain reports were placed before the GoM regarding the ownership of the Bhopal plant. The Bhopal plant was owned and operated by Union Carbide of India Ltd (UCIL), a subsidiary of Union Carbide Corp. (UCC) at the time of the disaster in December 1984. Kolkata-based Eveready Industries bought the Indian subsidiary, UCIL, in 1994, and the US-based Dow Chemicals acquired the parent, UCC, in 2001.
The government wants to resolve the issue since both Eveready and Dow deny involvement and say they cannot be held responsible. Eveready had said it had no link or involvement with the operations of the Bhopal plant as it had closed down and “ceased to exist as an asset in the company’s record books”. Dow Chemicals also toed a similar line. “The records are being called in and we are going to resolve the issue,” a Union minister said.
The GoM is likely to recommend that the government press for extradition from the US of Mr Warren Anderson, who was the chief of Union Carbide Corp. at the time of the gas leak.
Comments
Why such hue and cry after 25
shyam chhabra
20 Jun 2010 - 17:38
Why such hue and cry after 25 years of accident, only because the decision has come this time. Had the decision of court been delayed for another 10 years then what our citizens or leaders (who are opposing it) should have done? Where our leaders were during 25 years and now suddenly when a very lineant punishment has been imposed, their is problem in every where in the politics. Every news paper is pointing fingers on bureaucrats who were on seats in 1984. We should go by the law that what the law says regarding this kind of mishaps in any industry which result and mass destruction of human life. Even today many industries would be running like this and any day anything can happen, so what we are learning from this incident and what steps our government has taken to amend any laws if needed?
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