BHOPAL: After being admonished by the Supreme Court monitored panel over laxity in treatment of Bhopal gas disaster victims, the Madhya Pradesh government has initiated process to frame a comprehensive health policy for the gas victims. The gas leak from Union Carbide plant in Bhopal on December 2, 1984 left about 15,000 dead and lakhs with deadly diseases and permanent disabilities.In a strong-worded letter, the Supreme Court monitoring committee stated that top officials of the gas relief and rehabilitation department would be personally held responsible in case of any further delay on the matter.Bhopal gas tragedy relief and rehabilitation department swung into action and has framed a policy after this and sent it to the finance ministry for its approval. If cleared, the policy would benefit about 5.70 lakh gas victims in Bhopal. Once cleared by the finance department, the policy would go to the cabinet for final approval.So far, the department provides assistance in cancer, kidney and liver related ailments. While patients in need of assistance in brain and heart surgeries, knee, hip replacement and other disorders, the departments deals it on a case to case basis in absence of a comprehensive health policy.The procedural delay in this leads to delay and even death of gas victims, pointed the letter of the Supreme Court monitoring committee.Supreme Court monitoring committee chairman Justice VK Agrawal said, “We are saying it for long and government must do it. Many gas victims come with unspecified ailments and have to struggle to get the assistance. There is a need for comprehensive health policy. Gas victims must be given free of cost treatment without delay. It is in the larger interest of gas victims,” he added.Gas relief and rehabilitation department director Shekhar Verma said the proposal to frame a comprehensive health policy for the gas victims has been sent to the government on the Supreme Court monitoring committee’s directive and the process is underway.There are about 5.70 lakh gas victims, as per the gas relief department. Once the policy in question is cleared, the department would get the powers to sanction upto Rs 5 lakh for any type of critical ailment suffered by gas victims.A gas victim can go to the hospitals coming under the central government health scheme and state illness assistance fund for the treatment.The annual budget of Bhopal gas relief department is Rs 132 crore. However, a majority of the sum goes in establishment expenses and expenses of maintaining hospitals under the department. Officials point around Rs 25 crore is spent on the gas victims suffering from cancer.