Editor's Pick: We won’t pay a farthing more, Union Carbide tells Supreme Court

Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), the company responsible for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, has refused to pay any more money if the 1989 settlement with India’s central government is set aside by the Supreme Court. On the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984, highly dangerous and toxic gas methyl isocyanate leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) in Bhopal, killing 5,295 people, injuring around 5,68,292 persons, and causing loss of livestock and loss of property of almost 5,478 persons. In a curative plea, the Centre has contended that the 1989 settlement is “seriously impaired”. The government of India had reached an out-of-court settlement with UCC for a compensation of $470 million. Only a part of the compensation was disbursed by the government in 1992. The Constitution Bench hearing the matter also asked the government why ₹50 crores of the $470 million paid by the company have still not reached the victims of the disaster, after all these years. In recent developments, the central government has sought additional funds of over ₹7,400 crore from the pesticide company. The government said there is fresh data of more suffering caused by the incident. “My client is not willing to pay a farthing more. They say this is what they settled for, and if you [government] don’t want the settlement, let the law take its course,” senior advocate Harish Salve, for UCC, apprised the court. Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, the lead judge on the five-member Bench, said the government was walking a “slippery slope” by seeking to “re-open” the settlement after over 30 years through a curative petition. The curative plea was filed in 2010. Attorney General R. Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, said the settlement was not “just”. He also said that the government was not looking to re-open the settlement but only wanted to “add” to it. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? 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[Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( We won’t pay a farthing more, Union Carbide tells Supreme Court Union Carbide Corporation (UCC), the company responsible for the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, has [refused to pay any more money]( if the 1989 settlement with India’s central government is set aside by the Supreme Court. On the intervening night of December 2 and 3, 1984, highly dangerous and toxic gas methyl isocyanate leaked from the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) in Bhopal, killing 5,295 people, injuring around 5,68,292 persons, and causing loss of livestock and loss of property of almost 5,478 persons. In a curative plea, the Centre has contended that the 1989 settlement is “seriously impaired”. The government of India had reached an out-of-court [settlement]( with UCC for a compensation of $470 million. Only a part of the compensation was disbursed by the government in 1992. The Constitution Bench hearing the matter also asked the government why ₹50 crores of the $470 million paid by the company have still not reached the victims of the disaster, after all these years. In recent developments, the central government has sought additional funds of over ₹7,400 crore from the pesticide company. The government said there is fresh data of more suffering caused by the incident. “My client is not willing to pay a farthing more. They say this is what they settled for, and if you [government] don’t want the settlement, let the law take its course,” senior advocate Harish Salve, for UCC, apprised the court. Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, the lead judge on the five-member Bench, said the government was walking a “slippery slope” by seeking to “re-open” the settlement after over 30 years through a curative petition. The curative plea was filed in 2010. Attorney General R. Venkataramani, appearing for the Centre, said the settlement was not “just”. He also said that the government was not looking to re-open the settlement but only wanted to “add” to it. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Head over to our newsletter subscription page to sign up for Editor’s Pick and more. [Click here]( . The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Bad and ugly: On the Tamil Nadu Governor’s walkout from the Assembly]( [Arrow][A riot of losers: On the violence of Jair Bolsonaro supporters in Brazil]( The Hindu’s Daily News Quiz In which country, supporters of its former President invaded the Congress, Presidential Palace and the Supreme Court on January 8? - Sri Lanka - Iran - Brazil - Israel To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. Interested in daily updates from Tamil Nadu? 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