Bhopal, August 11: Almost 27 years after the worst industrial disaster caused by massive leakage of lethal gas from Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday set up an inquiry commission to examine the various aspects of the accident.
Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has taken a long time to set up the inquiry, yet the notification doesn’t fix a time limit for the commission headed by a retired HC judge SL Kochar to submit its report.
Interestingly, the notification — a copy of that is available with DNA — also notes the gravity of the tragedy which resulted in “unprecedented deaths and affecting millions with chronic physical and mental disorder”. It describes the accident as the “grave manmade chemical disaster in the world in human memory”.
Legal experts have scoffed at the government’s move “due to public outcry” against the injustice done to the victims by the Union Carbide (UCC).
–Agencies