Unfair that taxpayer has to pay Bhopal gas victims: BJP, Left

New Delhi, Jun 21 (PTI) Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party
and Left on Monday slammed the Group of Ministers (GoM) on
Bhopal gas issue for recommending that government pick up the
tab on payment of compensation to victims.
"The GoM report has disappointed the people," BJP
spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said.
Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Nilotpal
Basu told PTI, "It is unfair that the taxpayer has to pick up
the compensation bill, which should have been the
responsibility of the Union Carbide."
Congress, however, said the party will be in a position
to say something on the GoM recommendations only after the
report is made public.
"Though we are happy that this government has given
compensation to the victims, there is no mention of who helped
Anderson, killer of 25,000 people, flee the country," Hussain
added.
The CPI(M) leader rued that the GoM has not fixed
accountability at any stage -- be it going into details about
UCC being in the know about the hazardous nature of the plant
site or the judgement of the Supreme Court diluting charges
against the company officials.
"When the Supreme Court diluted the charges why was a
review petition not filed?" he said.
CPI leader D Raja attacked the ministerial panel for
suggesting that the government pick up the tab for payment of
additional compensation to the victims.
"What about fixing responsibility on UCC? Why should the
Centre take responsibility of paying compensation," he asked.
Satinath Sarangi of the Bhopal Group of Information and
Action also questioned the suggestion that government pick up
tab for compensation.
"It is the taxpayers money? Why should we pay? The money
should be paid by Dow Chemicals," Sarangi said.
The BJP and the Left were united in their demand that the
government treat the controversy around Bhopal gas tragedy as
a "wake-up call" and learn lessons from it while dealing with
the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill.
At a Congress briefing, party spokesperson Manish Tewari
said the party will be in a position to say something on the
GoM recommendations only after the report is made public. PTI
SKU
RBT


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