Wronged again

The wait for compensation co
the Bhopal gas tragedy victims suffered yet another setback when the Bhopal Memorial Hospital Trust refused to entertain their compensation claims without a copy of the judgement given by the judiciary. The hospital trust, funded by the us multinational Union Carbide Corporation, was set up by the Supreme Court as part of an 'out-of-court settlement'. It has specialists who deal with ailments caused due to the inhaling toxic gases. "The banks which provided interim relief have taken the original documents in a number of cases. This is creating problems," said Abdul Jabbar, convenor of the Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Udhyog Sangathan. The hospital trust even refused to accept certificates issued by the directorate of claims. According to K C Sharma, the state's additional welfare commissioner, the certifications issued by the directorate are valid documents. "The hospital was established with an aim to provide relief to the victims, but only influential sections of the society are availing its facilities," alleges Rukhsana, a victim.