MP High Court orders free treatment for Bhopal gas tragedy victims suffering from cancer

In a heartening development, the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the state government to provide free treatment to Bhopal Gas tragedy victims who are suffering from cancer in AIIMS. A division bench of Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla was hearing a plea filed by Bhopal Gas Peedith Mahila Udyog Sangthan and others. In its 17th report submitted on August 16, the Monitoring Committee headed by Justice (retd.) VK Agarwal had pointed out that the cancer patients were not only being sent to private hospitals but also being denied free treatment.

Moreover, it flagged the lack of adequate staff and infrastructure in which the patients are to be given free treatment. Appearing for the Centre, advocate Vikram Singh informed the court that advertisements for recruitment of various categories of medical personnel have been issued. However, the court ruled, "It is directed that the free of cost treatment be provided to the victims of Bhopal Gas Tragedy who are suffering from any of the cancers in AIIMS, Bhopal in the light of the recommendation made in the meeting convened by Additional Chief Secretary on June 17, 2021". 

What is the Bhopal Gas tragedy? 

There was a massive calamity in Bhopal on December 3, 1984, when the leak of poisonous gas from the Union Carbide pesticide plant killed thousands of people. While the initial death toll was speculated to be less than 3,000, the activists fighting for the Bhopal Gas tragedy estimate that nearly 8,000 to 10,000 people passed away in the tragedy. While Warren Anderson, the Chairman of Union Carbide who was the main accused in the case absconded from legal proceedings in India, a Bhopal court convicted 7 persons associated with the company and sentenced them to two-year imprisonment. Anderson passed away in 2014.  

Centre files curative petition

In its judgment delivered in 1989, the SC had ordered Union Carbide to pay a compensation of $470 million. Filing a curative petition in the Supreme Court seeking enhanced compensation for the 1984 Bhopal Gas tragedy victims, the Centre contends that this was based on a wrong number of injuries and deaths. For instance, the plea mentions that 5,295 people died while 70,000 suffered injuries in the tragedy.

The earlier figure of casualties was pegged at 3,000. Therefore, the Union government has sought additional compensation of Rs.7,844 crore. Furthermore, the curative plea seeks stricter punishment for the convicted Union Carbide executives who allegedly had full knowledge of the fatal design flaws of the pesticide plant in Bhopal.