Bhopal fallout envelopes Congress: GoM reconstituted

New Delhi: Faced with near universal condemnation and revulsion at home on the outcome of the Bhopal gas tragedy the Congress party has scrambled to control the mounting damage. The ruling UPA government, led by the Congress party, decided Wednesday to reconstitute a Group of Ministers which will go into a range of issues pertaining to the Bhopal gas tragedy, which is one of the world's foremost industrial disasters.

The reconstituted panel will be headed by minister for home affairs, P Chidambaram, He replaces ex-human resources minister, and chief minister of the state of Madhya Pradesh at the time of the disaster in 1984, Arjun Singh.

Other members of the panel GoM are Ghulam Nabi Azad, M Veerappa Moily, S Jaipal Reddy, Kamal Nath, Kumari Selja, MK Alagiri, Prithviraj Chavan and Jairam Ramesh, sources said.

The minister in-charge of rehabilitation of the state of Madhya Pradesh will be a permanent invitee.

The GoM will examine all issues relating to Bhopal gas leakage, including remedial measures and make appropriate recommendations relating to the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the tragedy and their families.

The belated move by the union government takes even as ridicule mounts around the globe over the manner in which India kow-towed to US commercial interests and allowed the chief accused, then chairman of American firm Union Carbide, Warren Anderson, to get away scot-free and continue to remain free thereafter.