Rythu Swarajya Vedika, an umbrella organisation of farmers, NGOs and intellectuals working on farm-related issues, has debunked the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill 2013, demanding that it be scrapped in its present form.

Instead, it is seeking introduction of the Bio Safety Protection Bill for protection of bio-diversity.

The biotechnology bill was introduced in Parliament in April and was subsequently referred to a Standing Committee on Science and Technology, which has called for opinions and suggestions within 30 days.

Union Minister for Science and Technology Jaipal Reddy has asked the Speaker to constitute a joint parliamentary committee of both Houses to discuss the bill.

“The bill was tabled even though the Parliament Standing Committee on Agriculture had recommended that India does not need such a bill and instead required a bio-safety protection authority.

Since 2008, the Government has been trying to bring in the controversial bill, in the face of stiff resistance from various farmer unions, State governments and other organisations,” G.V. Ramanjaneyulu, a senior representative of the organisation, told presspersons here today.

major flaws

The body said the major flaws in the bill included creation of a single-window fast-track approval body, which was in response to industry pressure for a quick roll-out of genetically modified crops. No role for State Governments and absence of independent testing norms are the other major flaws, it pointed out.

Ramanjaneyulu said recent research had shown there were several health problems associated with genetically modified foods. The recent contamination issues with maize in Mexico, rice in the USand canola in Canada show that even the open field trials before bio-safety tests are done can pose a serious threat to diversity.

The Centre for Sustainable Agriculture, in a recent report, says that there is no single gene that can be transferred to seeds to magically increase yield.

“Cotton production in India has increased primarily because the area under the crop has increased and not because yield per unit of land due to Bt cotton,” it pointed out.

amitmitra@thehindu.co.in

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