Centre to manage Bhopal Memorial Hospital Trust

The government has decided to take over the management of the Bhopal Memorial Hospital Trust (BMHT) which is involved in the treatment of the victims of the 1984 gas leak tragedy and this is likely to be conveyed to the Supreme Court tomorrow.

Official sources said that the Madhya Pradesh government has no objection to Centre's decision.

"The government has taken a decision to manage the hospital and the statement in this regard is likely to be made by a top law officer in the apex court," the sources said.

The decision was taken in the backdrop of a letter of June 20, 2009, written by former chief justice of India AM Ahmadi, who is the chairman of the BMHT.

Justice Ahmadi, who was part of the Supreme Court benches in the decisions on Bhopal gas tragedy that included the dilution of harsher penal charges in 1996, had written to the then CJI KG Balakrishnan seeking to be relieved from the chairmanship of the BMHT.

Justice Ahmadi was appointed the chairman of the BMHT on May 15, 1998.

Following a Supreme Court order, accused company Union carbide had set up a trust in London on March 1992 and Ian Percival was appointed as its sole trustee.

However, after the death of Percival, Bhopal Memorial Hospital Trust was constituted.

The then Madhya Pradesh government leased out land to the trust to set up super-speciality centres to treat the victims.

Around 32 health centres including six hospitals were constructed by the trust.