Ratan Tata’s offer that the Indian industry pick up the tab for remediation measures at the Bhopal gas tragedy site would not have been feasible, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said.
“My understanding is that the court had directed the state and central government to take up remedial measures. In such circumstances, if somebody wanted to help the central government, nothing like it, but the proposal that we (industry) would do the remediation would not have been feasible,” he said replying to questions on the issue.
Mr. Ahluwalia said Tata had written to several people a few years ago, including him, suggesting that the Indian industry would organise remediation to contain the damage caused by the Bhopal gas tragedy.
“He (Tata) had written the letter to many people, including myself. I had forwarded it to the ministry, after that there was no involvement from my side,” he said.
In 2006, Tata, as Chairman of the National Investment Commission, had written to the then Finance Minister P. Chidambaram proposing to set up a fund or trust for remediation with contribution from public and private sectors.
