Reacting to a report in these columns on a fax from Delhi-based Animal Welfare Board alleging cruelty to lab animals housed in NCLAS, Director-General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr N K Ganguly appointed an independent panel to look into the allegations. The team went round the facility at NIN on Thursday for over two hours and found no signs of either cruelty to animals or over-crowding as alleged in the fax. A member of the team told this correspondent that the animal facility has been maintained according to international standards. ``In some areas the NCLAS is far superior to lab animal facilities in developed countries,'' he said.

Meanwhile, NIN director Kamala Krishnaswamy and NCLAS incharge Hariharan have rushed to Delhi to explain theexact position regarding registration of the animal house.

Meanwhile, scientists have reacted sharply to the Animal Welfare Board fax calling it an absurd order and a clear move to scuttle research and harass researchers.

Director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Dr Lalji Singh, told this correspondent that he was shocked to see the `absurd fax' order from Delhi. ``These people in the Animal Welfare Board do not know what a lab animal facility is and some secretary shoots off a fax asking animals to be released into the wild. These are not wild animals, they have been carefully bred over the years under controlled conditions. Some of them will die the moment they are exposed to normal atmosphere,'' Singh said.

The CCMB director also pointed out that if NCLAS had not obtained registration there was a due process of law to be followed by issuing a showcause notice. In this case only an `animal law' seems to have been followed.

Alleging that the fax order is another instance ofharassing frontline researchers, Singh has asked the Government to view the matter seriously. ``The fax order was clearly in bad taste and scientists are ready to fight it out,'' he said.

The president of the local chapter of Indian Medical Association, Dr Gopalkishan, said lab animals are needed to test the efficacy by drugs and vaccines. Without lab animals, no new drug can come out into the market.

Former president of the Indian Cardiological Society Dr B K Naik said there are guidelines governing upkeep of lab animals. Since the NCLAS has not flouted these guidelines, the Animal Welfare Board has no right to order the closure of the facility.

PTI ADDS:

Scientists fear that an abrupt notice ordering release of 30,000 animals from NCLAS and closure of the animal lab, issued by the Animal Welfare Board, may spell doom for Indian biomedical research.

``This is a terrible thing for biomedical research,'' said Dr Sandip Basu, director of National Institute of Immunology (NII) in Delhi.

``It isa serious matter that the scientific community and public large should consider in great depth,'' said Prof. V Ramalingaswami, former director of ICMR.