The Hindu : Karnataka News : No commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal: Yeddyurappa

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Karnataka

Karnataka

No commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal: Yeddyurappa

Bangalore Bureau

He assures a delegation that the Government will hold consultations

A public consultation on the issue is scheduled on January 25
The delegation included several eminent personalities

BANGALORE: The commercialisation of Bt brinjal will not be allowed in Karnataka and it will be conveyed to the Centre, Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa assured a delegation comprising many eminent personalities that met him here on Wednesday.

His assurance assumes importance in the light of the scheduled public consultation on the issue of allowing commercial cultivation of Bt. brinjal scheduled to be held in Bangalore on January 25.

The delegation comprised Supreme Court-appointed observer to the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) Pushpa M. Bhargava, former Vice-Chancellor of University of Agricultural Sciences G.K. Veeresh and Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar.

“The State Government will take a decision on the introduction of commercial cultivation of Bt. brinjal only after wider consultations with experts and the public. Several States had opposed Bt brinjal on human health and environmental grounds,” the Chief Minister said.

“While some experts supported its commercial cultivation, others had opposed it since a large number of people consume it.

After Bt. cotton, there has been protests against the cultivation of Bt brinjal,” he added.

The Western Ghats Task Force chairman Ananth Hegde Ashisara has said that keeping in mind the need to conserve precious biodiversity, Bt brinjal should not be allowed, a press release from the GM-Free India said.

The former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda said that he had spoken to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on the need to carry out in-depth research on the introduction of Bt brinjal before taking a final decision.

“There is a mixed reaction on the issue now. Some farmers are in favour of it while some are opposed to it,” Mr. Gowda told a press conference in Bangalore.

Moratorium

Later, speaking at a civil society consultation on “Behind the curtain — the true story of Bt. brinjal, Dr. Bhargava said a moratorium of seven to 10 years should be declared on commercialisation of Bt brinjal during which a well-equipped laboratory had to be established that can undertake all the tests required. About 90 per cent of UN-member countries were opposed to genetically modified food and only 20 countries had favoured it, he added.

Concerns remain

“Those who have no vested interest opposed introduction of Bt brinjal.” In his over 30 minute talk, the noted molecular biologist raised several issues, questions and yet-to-be addressed concerns about the Bt brinjal. “Allowing Bt. brinjal will be the single greatest tragedy in the independent India that could lead to loss of country’s food sovereignty to foreign seed firms,” Dr. Bhargava warned.

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