Panel which cleared Bt brinjal to meet today to discuss ban

Discussion on Bt brinjal is the only item on the agenda of the GEAC meeting on Wednesday. The meeting,however,is likely to be a stormy one with several GEAC members expressing anger and disappointment at the way things were handled following its clearance to Bt brinjal last year. The issue of a downgrade in its status from an approval committee to just an appraisal committee — as Ramesh has said he intends to do — also has the members agitated.

“It is not a very happy situation for us. I do not know what follow-up action needs to be taken by GEAC considering that it has done its best to allay the concerns of every stakeholder. Several scientists across the country have put in years of effort in developing Bt brinjal and all that is being negated,” said a member of the GEAC.

Members point out several reasons for their disappointment. Ramesh’s decision to put an indefinite moratorium on Bt brinjal comes despite his ministry’s own officials — A K Goyal,joint secretary,and Dr R Warrier,director — on GEAC endorsing the commercial cultivation of the crop.

“He (Goyal) agreed with the report and recommendations of the Expert Committee on the safety of Bt brinjal for environmental release. He opined that detailed scientific discussions have taken place,” the minutes of the GEAC meeting that cleared Bt brinjal said about Goyal’s view.

Many GEAC members are also irked by the fact that Ramesh has asked the body to consult scientists like Dr P M Bhargava to draw up a fresh protocol for conducting additional tests despite the fact that the Expert Committee constituted by the GEAC had already responded to Bhargava’s suggestions point by point.

The Expert Committee had clearly spelled out why each of the 29 additional tests being recommended by Dr Bhargava — himself a SC-appointed special observer on GEAC — were either not required or similar tests already performed. Similarly,while Ramesh said the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) and the Director General of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) were in favour of ‘independent’ toxicity tests,their representatives on GEAC — Dr K Satyanarayana (Scientist,ICMR) and S P Sahani (AD,DCGI) — had lent their full support to Bt brinjal.

“Had I not been a nominated member (from his department),I would have resigned from GEAC,” said an enraged member.