What role has the Government of India played in the aftermath of the Bhopal tragedy?
The Government of India entered into a settlement with Union Carbide Corporation and Union Carbide India Limited on behalf of the victims. The settlement resulted in a fund that determined eligibility and paid the victims; a government organization administered the fund. In its 1991 reaffirmation of the 1989 Bhopal settlement, the Indian Supreme Court required the Government of India to make up for any shortfall in the settlement account (see page 682, paragraph 198 of the Court’s ruling on Bhopal.com) and to acquire a medical insurance policy to cover 100,000 people who might later develop symptoms shown to have resulted from being exposed during the gas release (see pages 684-686, paragraph 205-208). Therefore, any question regarding monetary reparations as a result of the Bhopal tragedy should be directed to the Government of India.
