Some on Bt panel were promoting own interest

The green signal from the expert committee-II (EC-II) to grow Bt Brinjal was meant to promote genetically modified (GM) food in the country, civil rights activists have alleged.

According to the activists, four of the 16 members in EC-II were either growing Bt Brinjal or working on projects funded by companies promoting GM food. EC-II was formed by the environment ministry’s genetic engineering approval committee (GEAC) to suggest whether Bt Brinjal should be cultivated commercially. GEAC’s final decision was based on its
recommendations.

One of the four members was KK Tripathi, who is in the review committee on genetic manipulation at the department of biotechnology. A complaint was filed against him in the central vigilance commission for abuse of power. The complaint (number 780/09/6) was filed by Nuziveedu Seeds Limited for exercising undue discretionary powers to promote three companies, including Mahyco.

In case of Mathura Rai from the Indian Institute of Vegetable Research, allegations were repeatedly made that he was part of a project funded by USAID, which gets funds from Monsanto.
“We wrote several letters to authorities expressing our concerns, but the matter was never taken up,” Kavitha Kuruganti of NGO Kheti Virasat Mission, said. “This is why we want the ministry of environment and forest to reconstitute GEAC and not have the same people carry out further research on Bt Brinjal.”

Allegations were also made against P Ananda Kumar, who is project director at the Indian Agriculture Research Institute. Kumar is a Bt Brinjal developer and activists said his inclusion in EC-II was not fair since he had an interest in the commercial use of Bt Brinjal.

The fourth person is Dilip Kumar of the Central Institute of Fisheries Education. The Mumbai-based institute had carried out a study on Bt Brinjal sponsored by Mahyco. Activists alleged it was not fair to keep Kumar in the expert committee as well.

“GEAC had set up the expert committee and its decision was based on the recommendations of this committee. The expert committee had on it Mathura Rai and Ananda Kumar, Bt Brinjal growers, so there’s bound to be conflict of interest,” Kanchi Kohli of NGO Kalpavriksha, said.