NEW DELHI: The government Friday sanctioned Rs.134 crore for the victims of the 1984 Bhopal gas leak tragedy, an official spokesperson said here.
The union cabinet, which met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the chair, approved recommendations of the group of ministers on the disaster which had sought payment of ex-gratia to 9,000 victims suffering from cancer and total renal failure.
"An amount of Rs.134 crore has been approved for this purpose. The approval will provide more succour to the Bhopal Gas Victims," the spokesperson said. The government decided last year for the payment of ex-gratia to specified categories of Bhopal gas victims at indicated rates for which purpose a sum of Rs.740.28 crore was approved.
According to official figures, some 3,500 people died within days and more than 15,000 in the years since. But activists put the death toll at 25,000 even as the effects of the gas continue to this day.