Parliament panel slams Veerappa Moily for nod to GM field trials

Anti-GM activists want EC to intervene in the matter, as nod for GM came just before polls

Parliament’s standing committee on agriculture has slammed Environment Minister Veerapa Moily's decision to allow field trials of genetically-modified (GM) crops despite the panel's strong reservations.

Earlier this month, the committee had met under the chairmanship of Basudeb Acharia, Communist Party of India (Marxist) Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha.

In its report, the standing committee said unless comprehensive, transparent and scientific regulatory mechanisms were in place, trials be not allowed.

"Therefore, a comprehensive and effective monitoring mechanism for transgenic crops should be put in place at the earliest, before any field trials are undertaken," it said.

On March 21, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) under the ministry had revalidated the trials of 11 varieties of GM crops, including maize, rice, sorghum, wheat, cotton and groundnut. This followed former environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan raising objections despite the GEAC clearing these in March. The objections had led to the expiry of the validation and a change in the location of trial areas.

Now, trials will include different varieties of transgenic maize by Monsanto and Pioneer Overseas, sorghum varieties by Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture and varieties of transgenic rice by the University of Calcutta and Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company.

Following the GEAC's nod, the matter could again be taken up by the minister.

GEAC's revalidation has got a mixed response. Sector bodies said this would push research and development, held up. But activists have demanded the poll panel intervene.

However, anti-GM activists have demanded the Election Commission should intervene in the matter, as an announcement in this regard was made just before the polls.