Bhopal gas tragedy relief, rehab dept may close

Bhopal: In a significant development, the Madhya Pradesh government is mulling to wind up its Bhopal gas tragedy relief and rehabilitation department, constituted 34 years ago to provide succour to the victims of 1984 Union Carbide mishap here.

This was disclosed to this newspaper here on Saturday by a top-level officer of the state government privy to the development.

“A move is underway to do away with the department as per the recommendations of the second administrative reforms committee and Niti Aayog, which sought pruning of total departments of MP government from the existing 55 to 35 for good governance,” the officer revealed requesting anonymity.

The Bhopal gas tragedy relief and rehabilitation department has virtually become redundant since the purpose of its establishment soon after the deadly industrial accident in Union Carbide unit here took place on the intervening night of December 2-3, 1984 has almost been served, he claimed.

According to him, while the issue involving compensation to the victims has almost been settled, arrangements for treatment of victims suffering from various diseases due to exposure to the toxic gas have been made, making the department redundant.

An official account has said that a compensations amounting to Rs 3,066.44 crore have been provided to 5,74,391 persons affected by the mishap, while relief amounting to Rs 801.53 crore has been released to the victims suffering from serious illness such as cancer, kidney failures and incapacitations.

However, social activists fighting for the causes of the Bhopal gas tragedy victims strongly protested the proposed move to shutdown the department before settling the issue of relief and rehabilitation of these people.