The organisations representing survivors of Bhopal Gas Tragedy on Wednesday accused the State Government of gross betrayal over promised health and other facilities to them.
They have sought an appointment from President Ram Nath Kovind when he visits the state capital on November 10.
While talking to media persons, here on Wednesday, they alleged that Gas Relief Minister Vishwas Sarang in June 2006, after assuming the office had promised health, employment and social benefits for the survivors on the basis of three-month scientific study of the victims and affected colonies. However, the study was never conducted.
Satinath Sarangi from Bhopal Group for Action and Information (BGIA) said the minister had also promised bar-coded smart cards for the gas tragedy victims so that their centralised data could be accessed either at Bhopal Memorial Hospital or any of the six gas relief hospitals being run by the state government and treatment could be streamlines. “Not a single survivor has been issued the smart card till date,” he alleged.
The senior gas tragedy activist even claimed that anything regarding cleaning of Union Carbide site, infested with ‘toxic waste’, was yet to be done despite the fact the state government owns the land.
The State Government had promised to continue `1000 widow pension for women survivors but 17 months down the line, the pension is yet to resume forcing thousands of elderly women to live in abject poverty, BGIA worker Rachna Dhingra claimed.
A sum of `80 crore has lying with the Department of Gas Relief and Rehabilitation but no efforts were made to ensure employment for the survivors’ kids which is really unfortunate, she alleged.