By IANS,
Bhopal: Over Rs.1 crore was distributed as compensation to 719 claimants of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy from Dec 19 to Dec 27, a minister said Tuesday.
“The gas claims courts were ordered to deposit Rs.1.09 crore in the accounts of 719 claimants,” Gas Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Babulal Gaur said.
The Madhya Pradesh government began the process of transferring Rs.750 crore compensation to gas victims Dec 19. It is to be distributed till March 31, 2011. A total of 45,694 people are to be compensated.
Forty tonnes of poisonous methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas seeped out of the Union Carbide plant on the night of Dec 2-3. It killed 3,000 people instantly and 25,000 over the years. It also affected 100,000 people that night and estimates are that more than 500,000 still continue to suffer till date.