About 260 civil society organisations and intellectuals have asked Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister for Environment and Forests, to take action against Monsanto India Ltd for its violation of bio-safety norms in Karnataka. They have also called for stoppage of all open air releases of GMOs (genetically modified organisms) in the research and development pipeline.
In a letter , they have asked the Minister to take measures, fixing liability on regulators for their lapses and ensure removal of conflict of interest, if any, in the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee.
They have taken objection to GEAC clearing 25 acres of seed production of untested GM maize of Monsanto. “Even at an average yield of just 20 quintals an acre, the produce from these 25 acres will be adequate for 10,000 acres. This cannot be for research obviously and can only be for commercialisation,” they alleged.
On Monday, Greenpeace, the NGO, had claimed that Monsanto had violated bio-safety norms by leaving residues (GM corn cobs) on the field and refuge with farmers. The fields were not labelled, it alleged.
Monsanto, however, turned down the allegations as baseless. “We undertook limited seed production of biotech maize in Bijapur with the required permission and in compliance with guidelines in late rabi season last year. This information was proactively shared with State-level, district-level and village-level authorities,” a Monsanto spokesperson said.
“All necessary care has been taken from sowing to post harvest related to the seed production activity,” he said.
The GEAC will meet in Delhi on July 6 to consider about 25 applications for tests and trials of biotech products.