The Madras High Court on Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction with the Central and State governments for their failure to implement recommendations made by the Monitoring Committee regarding the Bhopal Gas Tragedy. The committee was established to oversee the medical and rehabilitation measures for the victims of the 1984 disaster.
During the hearing of petitions related to the tragedy, a division bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdev and Justice Vinay Saraf directed the governments to submit detailed responses to the show cause notices issued by the Privilege Committee back in 2017. These notices questioned the lack of action taken on the committee’s recommendations, which have been largely ignored since their inception.
The Monitoring Committee, formed following a 2012 Supreme Court directive, was tasked with ensuring the proper execution of 20 specific guidelines aimed at improving conditions for the tragedy’s survivors. Among these were measures to ensure adequate healthcare facilities at the Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre (BMHRC), which, as per reports, still suffers from a lack of proper staffing and essential medical equipment.
The High Court’s frustration is particularly with the governments’ indifference towards these recommendations, which has allegedly resulted in continued suffering for the victims. The lack of follow-through on the appointment of doctors and the procurement of necessary medical equipment at BMHRC was highlighted as a critical issue.
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With the next hearing scheduled for August 7, the court has emphasized the urgency of compliance with the Monitoring Committee’s recommendations. It insists that the central and state governments take immediate and effective actions to address the ongoing deficiencies in healthcare and rehabilitation services provided to the gas tragedy victims.
