The strongest response has come from Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal. He has not only banned Bt brinjal in
his state, but urged the Centre to follow suit.
With just three days left for the government to announce its decision on the commercial use of genetically modified Bt brinjal in the country, 13 chief ministers have officially conveyed to the Centre that they don’t want their farmers to grow the crop.
The strongest response has come from Uttarakhand chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal. He has not only banned Bt brinjal in
his state, but urged the Centre to follow suit.
The road ahead for Bt brinjal has also become difficult because states that have almost 75% share in the country’s brinjal crop have categorically refused to grow the genetically modified variety.
Although the government is aware of the growing criticism, it is expected to announce its decision by the middle of this week after environment and forest minister Jairam Ramesh gets viewpoints of scientists and the general public. Wide-ranging public
discussions were held on the contentious issue. “We would be able to take a decision on February 10,” Ramesh said.
Environment ministry officials said, West Bengal that contributes 30% of the brinjal crop in the country, has already told the Centre that it doesn’t want its farmers to grow the genetically modified version of the crop.
Same is the case with Orissa (that contributes 20% of the total yield), Bihar (11%), Andhra Pradesh (6%) and Karnataka (4%). All these states have written letters to the Centre conveying their decision not to grow Bt brinjal.
“Public consultations are mandated in the Cartagena Protocol to which India is a signatory. The environment minister is right in setting a precedent like this. He had faced opposition from the agriculture minister and science and technology minister on the issue,” Kavitha Kuruganti of Kheti Virasat Mission said.
At all the public discussions held in the country starting from Kolkata on January 13, the environment minister has faced stiff resistance against the crop.
Apart from facing heated arguments in Kolkata and Bangalore, the minister was welcomed with burning effigies at other places where public consultations were held.
The governments of Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan have also officially conveyed to the Centre their decision not to grow Bt brinjal in their states.
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