Illegal GM brinjal, cotton: Environment Ministry asks states to take action

By Nivedita Khandekar

New Delhi, Feb 24 (SocialNews.XYZ) Amidst a raging debate over illegal Bt Brinjal and Bt Cotton, opinion is split amongst farmers' groups even as the Centre has maintained that it is the responsibility of the state governments to take action against such cultivators.

Agriculture being a state subject, any complaints that come to the notice of Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) secretariat are flagged for action at state level, and communications are sent to the Chief Secretary concerned, the Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ministry said.

Violations have been flagged from Maharashtra and Haryana, prompting the Centre to alert the states for action.

Shetkari Sanghatana leader, Anil Ghanwat, who was one of the three members of the committee appointed by the Supreme Court in connection with the now repealed three farm laws, had carried out an agitation in Maharashtra last week wherein he and his team had publicly planted the seeds as part of the agitation.

"Almost 50 per cent cotton sowing is of HtBT cotton. Almost 15 lakh packets of HtBt cotton seeds have been sold in the market. There is lot of corruption and black marketing going on as there is a demand for this seed," Ghanwat told IANS on phone from Maharashtra.

He also claimed that an Indian company has come up with Bt Brinjal seeds in association with an Agriculture University. "Farmers from Bangladesh are benefitting with those seeds and here you are damning our agitation."

Kishor Tiwari, who heads the Maharashtra Farm Taskforce, alleged that it is only a handful of farmers that are sowing these illegal seeds and claimed that "the agitation that happened last week was sponsored by seed companies".

The farmers have a right to technology, but it is for the Centre to decide with a larger discussion on the topic, he said.

Two FIRs were launched against members of the farmers union involved in the agitation. Similarly, complaints/reports received in the Environment Ministry on illegal cultivation of unapproved Bt Brinjal in Haryana were forwarded to the Chief Secretary, Haryana. "Haryana government confirmed the presence of Bt positive Brinjal in Fatehabad district and has destroyed the crop," said an official from the Ministry.

Complaints regarding sowing of unapproved GM crops in Maharashtra were forwarded to its Chief Secretary, who in turn, informed that efforts were made to dissuade the sowing of unapproved GM seeds. "Such seeds were seized and sealed in the presence of farmers and government officials and sent to CICR Nagpur for HTBT testing," the Maharashtra government told the Ministry.

In response to IANS' query on the issue, Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said, "Since only Bt cotton is approved by GEAC for environmental release, it follows that seeds of any other GM crop are illegal and unauthorised, and State Agriculture departments are expected to maintain vigilance and supervision to prevent spread of unapproved seeds."

States/UTs have been requested to provide lateral flow strip test kits for preliminary field level testing of GM crops, and also train the front line staffs who visits the fields for field inspections.

"We have also written to Chief Secretaries of all states/UTs to constitute and strengthen State Biotechnology Coordination Committee (SBCC) and district level committees and take penal action under Section 15, 16 and 17 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, in case of any cultivation of illegal Genetically Modified Crops," Yadav said.

Suman Sahay of Gene Campaign, an organisation that has been opposing GM/Bt seeds, said: "As far as I know, no Indian company has developed a Bt gene for creating Bt crop. As on today, any and every Bt gene can come only from Monsanto."

So, whatever Ht/Bt seeds are being grown, all are illegal, she said, adding, "The MoEF&CC has done the right thing to alert the states and now, it is the states that are to take action."

The Centre has to decide on the policy, she added.

Source: IANS