April 05, 2006
By Indo Asian News Service
New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) The central government Wednesday approved a sum of Rs.500 million to bridge a shortfall in paying additional compensation to the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy victims.
‘This would help in implementing the Supreme Court’s orders of July 19 and Oct 26, 2004, for disbursement of pro-rata (one to one) additional compensation to meet the shortfall in the settlement,’ Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said after a cabinet meeting here Wednesday.
According to the welfare commission office, the shortfall is of about Rs.500 million.
The tragic gas leak from the erstwhile Union Carbide Company in December 1984 had killed around 20,000 people and maimed over 100,000 people in Madhya Pradesh.
The minister said the victims who had been awarded compensation in the original claim cases would get the pro-rata compensation as per the court order.
Currently, hundreds of protesters are in the national capital, demanding safe drinking water, employment, compensation and other basic amenities to the sufferers.

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