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November 28, 2007

Gas ministry "riddled with corruption, apathy and incompetence"

Bhopal, November 28, 2007, Press Statement

Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmchari Sangh
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangarsh Morcha
Bhopal Group for Information & Action

Hundreds of victims of American multinational corporations – Union Carbide and Dow Chemical, demonstrated today at the residence of the Minister of Bhopal Gas Tragedy Relief and Rehabilitation in Bhopal. Survivors of the December '84 Union Carbide gas disaster along with residents of communities affected by poisoning of ground water by chemical wastes from Union Carbide's abandoned factory, condemned the state government's neglect of the victims.

The demonstrators dumped bottles of medicines from government hospitals in front of the Minister's gate to highlight the inadequacies of the health care system for victims of Union Carbide. They said that these and other medicines had been purchased from dubious companies and were ineffective against chemical induced illnesses that they continue to suffer.

Leaders of the three organizations -- Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha and Bhopal Group for Information and Action told the Minister that in the last 18 months the state government had not implemented a single decision of the Coordination Committee on Bhopal (CCB).

The latest politician to enjoy the gas relief minstry's perks was reminded of his obligations today. The look on his face suggests it came as a bit of a shock...

The Committee for overseeing the work of rehabilitation of the Bhopal victims was set up by the Prime Minister last year with representations from the central government, the state government and survivors and supporters organizations. The organizations pointed out that as per the decision of the CCB, the state government was supposed to have prepared an action plan for medical, economic, social and environmental rehabilitation of the victims of Bhopal.

The organizations also pointed out that the state government had not fulfilled any of the promises made to the three organizations at the end of their month long dharna and fast in February - March this year. They reminded the Minister that the scientific report on health effects of ground water contamination was to be published by July this year and five months later, even the draft of the report is not ready.

The organizations condemned the state government's recent decision to deny free medical care to the children of the gas exposed parents and continued denial of free medical care to people who are sick due to contaminated ground water. They charged the Minister with deliberate neglect towards the recommendations made in the six reports of the Monitoring Committee set up by the Supreme Court for reforming the official health care system of Bhopal victims.

Survivors surround the gas minister as he confesses his utter incompetence

The Minister, who met the demonstrators out side his gate, accepted that the action plan was not ready and that he had not yet gone through the relevant paperwork to be able to respond to the other charges of the demonstrators. Speaking to the media outside the Minister's bungalow the organizations said that they no longer had any expectations from the state government whose Ministry was riddled with corruption apathy and incompetence. They said they will now pressure the central government for setting up of a National Commission on Bhopal with adequate funds and authority for long term rehabilitation of the victims of Bhopal.

Rashida Bi, Champa Devi Shukla, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh, tel.94265 88215

Syed M Irfan, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, tel. 93290 26319

Rachna Dhingra, Satinath Sarangi, Bhopal Group for Information and Action, tel. 98261 67369

Contact : House No. 60, Near Cold Storage, Union Carbide Road, Chhola, Bhopal

Posted by tim at 10:13 AM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2007

December 2-3, 2007 marked as a 'Black Day' - survivors plan repeat Padayatra

Press Statement

Bhopal, November 27, 2007

Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmchari Sangh
Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangarsh Morcha
Bhopal Group for Information & Action

Announcing the 23rd Anniversary of the Bhopal gas disaster as a "Black Day," three organizations active on the issues of the Bhopal gas disaster said they will repeat their 800 km Padayatra in February 2008 to New Delhi to remind the Central Government of their unkept promises.

Abandoning any hopes they had of the State Government, the organisations said the march will pressure the Central government to make Dow Chemical Company accept its liabilities in Bhopal and for setting up a National Commission for long term relief and rehabilitation of the survivors.

The organizations will hold a torch rally on the evening of December 2, 2007 and a march to the Union Carbide factory during the day on December 3, 2007. Supporters of Bhopal survivors from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Tamilnadu and different parts of the world will be part of the Anniversary march. Survivors also plan to burn effigies of Union Carbide and Dow Chemical at the end of the march in front of the factory.

Last February, more than 55 survivors and their supporters walked to New Delhi and met the Prime Minister after a weeklong hunger strike. At that time, the Prime Minister promised to act promptly on providing clean water, health care, employment and social support and set up a coordination committee to oversee the implementation of these assurances. However, the State Government has failed to implement any of the recommendations of the Committee. The Centre too has shown no keenness to keep their word. Rather, documents obtained from the Prime Minister's Office reveal that the Prime Minister is actively pushing a proposal to grant Dow Chemical immunity so that Dow and Union Carbide can invest freely in India.

The State and Central Government's plans to help Dow Chemical on the issue of disposal of chemical wastes has run into trouble after the Gujarat Government withdrew its permission to burn the wastes in Ankleshwar, and the tender for transporting the waste elicited only one response -- from a company that has no experience in transporting toxic wastes.

The State and Central Governments, in their enthusiasm to help Dow, will cause another Bhopal disaster through the unsafe handling of Carbide's toxic wastes, the organisations feared.

Despite the Governments' support, Dow Chemical has had a very rough year. Departing from its stance of last six years, Dow announced this year that it was prepared to clean up the toxic waste provided it is not made legally liable. After it was caught by a US Government agency for bribing Indian officials from the Central Insecticide Registration Board, the CBI commenced an investigation into the corruption scandal. Meanwhile, Dow's efforts to win legitimacy by forging partnerships with the Indian Institute of Technology has run into rough weather after alumni, students and faculty from IITs at Kanpur, Kharagpur, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai rejected its overtures. IITians have called for barring Dow from even recruiting on campus.

The leaders of the three organizations -- Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha and Bhopal Group for Information and Action -- said Dow is being forced to clean up the Tittabawassee river in its hometown, Midland, Michigan. The company was found to be responsible for the widespread contamination of the River with dioxins and other hazardous chemicals. The organisations said it will not be long before Dow is forced to clean up Bhopal and pay compensation for health injuries and birth defects caused due to contamination from the Union Carbide factory.

Rashida Bi, Champa Devi Shukla, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh, tel.94265 88215

Syed M Irfan, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha, tel.93290 26319

Rachna Dhingra, Satinath Sarangi, Bhopal Group for Information and Action, tel.98261 67369

Contact: House No. 60, Near Cold Storage, Union Carbide Road, Chhola, Bhopal

Posted by tim at 04:12 PM | Comments (0)

November 14, 2007

Families of damaged children lay siege to Gas Minister's house

*Press Statement*

*Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmchari Sangh*

*Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangarsh Morcha*

*Bhopal Group for Information & Action*

November 14, 2007, Bhopal - Children of Bhopal whose health has been impaired due to poisons from Union Carbide today observed "Children's Day" with a demonstration at the residence of the Principal Secretary, Department of Bhopal Gas Tragedy, M P Government, to highlight the injustice of lack of social security pensions for families with children with birth defects.

Led by three organizations that are active on issues of the 1984 gas disaster and toxic contamination in the vicinity of the abandoned factory, hundreds of children including those born to gas exposed parents with birth defects chanted slogans on the failure of the State Government in providing social security to the victims.

Mrs. Vinuta Lakhera, a gas victim from Kainchi Chhola and mother of 12 year old Jeet who had congenital heart disease (Ventricular Septal Defect with Fallot's Tetralogy) stated that she was denied financial assistance for Jeet's surgery despite appeals to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh.

Rashida Bee of the Chingari Trust that paid over Rs. one lakh for Jeet's successful surgical treatment recently, said that there are close to two hundred children with congenital deformities who continue to be denied medical attention by the State Government. She pointed out that between 1992 and 1997, 14 children had received official assistance for heart surgery and 13 children received assistance in diagnosis for congenital brain anomalies. However, the programme, SPARC (Special Assistance to At Risk Children) was suddenly withdrawn in 1997 citing financial constraints.

According to a survey carried out by the Chingari Trust, there are an unusually large number of children with Cerebral Palsy in the communities affected by gas or contaminated ground water.

The three organizations; Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationary Karmchari Sangh, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangarsh Morcha and Bhopal Group for Information & Action have been demanding medical treatment and monthly pension of Rs. 1000/- for poison affected families who have children with birth defects.

The organizations pointed out that the State government spent a paltry sum of Rs. 3761/- per year per child orphaned due to the disaster from 1984 to 2000. They said that an amount of Rs. 49.72 Crores was allocated for social rehabilitation of victims of the disaster in 1986 for five years, yet in the last 21 years the State government has not spent the allocated amount. The organizations stated that there has been no expenditure by the State Government on social rehabilitation of Union Carbide's victims for the last 13 years.

The organizations stated that in addition to children with birth defects, thousands of widows and destitute victims are being denied social support pension by the State Government. They said in the last 23 years, the official administration of rehabilitation of victims of Union Carbide has been riddled with corruption, apathy and incompetence.

They said that the Chief Minister has not fulfilled any of the promises made to the organizations following their month long agitation in February - March this year. They alleged that Mr Padhyaya in his official capacity has not followed up with any of the decisions taken by the Coordination Committee on Bhopal set up under direction of the Prime Minister last year.

Rashida Bi, Champa Devi Shukla, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Stationery Karmachari Sangh

tel. 94265 88215

Syed M Irfan, Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Purush Sangharsh Morcha

tel. 93290 26319

Rachna Dhingra, Satinath Sarangi, Bhopal Group for Information and Action

tel. 98261 67369

*Contact : House No. 60, Near Cold Storage, Union Carbide Road, Chhola, Bhopal*

Posted by tim at 03:48 PM | Comments (0)