PM says meet immediately,seeks GoM report in 10 days

As the after-effects of the judgment on the Bhopal gas tragedy continue to embarrass the government,Prime Minister...

As the after-effects of the judgment on the Bhopal gas tragedy continue to embarrass the government,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday asked a Group of Ministers GoM,headed by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram,to meet immediately and report back to the Cabinet within ten days on the steps that can be taken to assuage the feelings of the victims.

This GoM was reconstituted last week,in the wake of the judgment of the trial court in the case,to discuss all outstanding issues relating to the tragedy,including those relating to compensation and rehabilitation of the victims. This GoM which was headed by former Union minister Arjun Singh in the first stint of the UPA was reconstituted with Chidambaram as the head since Singh is no longer in the ministry.

The Prime Minister has directed that the Group of Ministers,headed by Home Minister,constituted to look into all issues relating to the Bhopal gas leak disaster,may meet immediately to take stock of the situation arising out of the recent court judgment,to assess the options and remedies available to the government on the various issues involved and report to the Cabinet within ten days, a statement from the Prime Ministers Office read.

The GoM was scheduled to meet this Friday but according to the sources the meeting is most likely to be advanced following the Prime Ministers directive. The judgment of the trial court,which gave the accused two years in prison,has raised a public outcry,criticising the government for inaction and neglect of the victims of the largest industrial disaster of the world.

Besides Chidambaram,the GoM comprises Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad,Urban Development Minister S Jaipal Reddy,Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh,Chemicals and Fertiliser Minister M K Alagiri,Roads and Highways Minister Kamal Nath,Minister for Tourism and Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja and Minister of State in the Prime Ministers Office Prithviraj Chavan.