Dow Chairman to skip Indo-US CEO forum meeting

Lalit K Jha

Washington, Jun 22 (PTI) Chairman and CEO of Dow
Chemicals Andrew Liveris will not attend the Indo-US CEO
Business Forum meeting scheduled to be held here on Tuesday.

"He is not attending because of his prior engagement,"
Dow spokesperson told PTI.
A high-level Indian delegation led by India's Finance
Minister Pranab Mukherjee alongwith Commerce Minister Anand
Sharma, Deputy Chairman's Planning Commission Montek Singh
Ahluwalia and prominent corporate leaders from India will be
attending the meeting.
In 1999, Dow Chemical Company bought the Union Carbide
which was responsible for the world's worst industrial
disaster in 1984 - the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
Dow washed its hands of any liability for the tragedy
which occurred when toxic methyl isocyanate gas leaked from
Union Carbide India Ltd (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal in
Madhya Pradesh state in central India on December 3, 1984,
killing about 15,000 people while injuring at least five lakh
others.
Earlier, this month a local court in India convicted
eight accused in the disaster. Disappointed with the verdict,
activists, who have been fighting for justice for the families
of victims renewed their demands for extradition of Warren
Anderson, who was the UCIL chairman during the disaster and
now lives in USA.
Dow spokesperson claimed that Liveris' absence has got
nothing to do with the ongoing Bhopal controversy.
"Absolutely not and in no way related (to Bhopal
controversy) as to why he cannot attend the CEO forum meeting,
he already had a commitment that he could not move for this
meeting otherwise he would be there," the spokesman added. PTI
LKJ
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