Bhopal gas tragedy: NGO threatens to gherao MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan's residence

BHOPAL: An NGO working for the Bhopal gas tragedy victims today threatened to gherao the residence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here on December 3 to seek compensation for four lakh victims and speedy trial of the accused responsible for the disaster.

"Compensation had been given to around one lakh gas tragedy victims earlier. But, the figure of victims has gone up to over five lakh people, according to Central government's own admission, and two petitions had been filed regarding it (seeking compensation)," Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangathan (BGPMUS) convenor Abdul Jabbar told reporters here.

"The state government should immediately intervene in two petitions - a curative of the Central government, and another filed by us being heard by the Supreme Court regarding compensation to four lakh more victims of the world's worst industrial disaster," he said.

"Because of the state government's inaction, we have decided to gherao the CM's residence on December 3 to put forth our demands," he said.

Jabbar said the BJP-led state government had earlier announced that it will set up a fast track court following the verdict of a lower court here in June 2010, 25 years after the tragedy. The previous UPA government, the then state government and the NGOs had dubbed the judgment as "too little, too late".

At least eight persons had been found guilty and handed over two years' imprisonment for causing death due to negligence in connection with the gas leakage incident that occurred in Bhopal on December 3, 1984.