Centre, state ignoring advice on gas victims’ care: SC panel

Bhopal/Jabalpur: The Monitoring Committee constituted by the Supreme Court to keep a tab on medical care being provided to the Bhopal gas victims presented its quarterly report before a division bench of MP high court on Tuesday. The committee in its report told the court that its recommendations were not being followed by either the state or the central government. The 20-point directives issued by the Supreme Court in 2012 in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udyog Sangthan and other NGOs working among the gas victims seeking proper medical care of gas victims have not been complied with either. The bench of Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Amarnath Kesarwani while asking for distribution of the copies of report submitted by the Monitoring Committee asked secretary, health & research, to ensure compliance of all the recommendations of the Monitoring Committee and the directives of the apex court given in its order on August 9, 2012. Following its 2012 order, the Supreme Court had transferred the PIL to MP high court for hearing and since then, the case is being heard by the MP high court. During pendency of the case, a contempt petition accusing the state and the central government of not complying with the supreme court order and recommendation made by the Monitoring Committee in its successive reports was also filed, which is being heard simultaneously with the original PIL on medical care of the gas victims.Advocate Rajesh Chand appeared in the case for the petitioners.