1. GM body to probe unapproved trial in Bihar: Ramesh
2. Consult states before GM crop trials: Nitish
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1. GM body to probe unapproved trial in Bihar: Ramesh
Chetan Chauhan and Ashok Mishra, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, March 14, 2011
http://www.hindustantimes.com/GM-body-to-probe-unapproved-trial-in-Bihar-Ramesh/Article1-673461.aspx

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has ordered a probe into how trials on genetically-modified maize were initiated at a location not approved by biotech regulator Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC). Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday fired another salvo at Ramesh saying the stat
e government was not informed about the trial of GM maize at the location.

Ramesh told HT he has directed the GEAC to probe the issue and submit a report. "I have sought an explanation from GEAC..." the minister said, emphasising on the need to conduct trials as per the requirements of the state governments.

The issue was raked up after GM maize sowed in a farm in Samastipur was destroyed in a "hurried" manner on Monday after it was found that it did not have GEAC permission. The GEAC had approved field trials at two locations in Bihar ””Debusarfai and Bhagalpur.

"The GEAC had communicated its decision to Monsanto India Limited on December 12, 2010 and marked a copy to various officials of the state government, which was never received by the department. Monsanto informed the state government about the trials on February 24 but the trial was already laid on February 21 without previous information to the state government," Kumar said.

In a letter to Ramesh, Kumar has sought an investigation into how Monsanto India Limited communicated to Bihar and other states about the field trial.

Bihar has got photographic evidence that suggests the crop was destroyed at 5 am at Pusa research centre in Samastipur and replaced with a cereal after NGOs learnt about it and informed the CM’s office.

"It has also come to our notice that the laid trial was hurriedly uprooted in an unscientific manner in the absence of any representative from the state’s agriculture department," he said,    seeking  change in the gambit of GEAC regulation over field trials and inclusion of state representative in GEAC. Monsanto representatives were not available for comments.
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2. Consult states before GM crop trials: Nitish
The Economic Times (India)
15 Mar, 2011
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/consult-states-before-gm-crop-trials-nitish/articleshow/7707135.cms

NEW DELHI: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has stressed that the state government must be consulted before any private sector agency is allowed to conduct trials for genetically modified crops. In his letter to Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh, the Bihar chief minister reiterated the need for state representation in the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee.

In making a case for consulting state governments, Kumar informed Ramesh of Bihar's "bitter experience of private hybrids" in maize in December 2009-10, when the state had to step in with distributed assistance to farmers. The state exchequer had to take on an extra burden of Rs 61 crore, which it had to pay as compensation to farmers using private hybrids, on account of "non-formation of grain". The private companies had disowned their responsibility and the state government had to step in to provide assistance.

Acknowledging the environment minister's prompt response in terminating field trial for Bt maize in Bihar, Kumar drew attention to the "surreptitious manner in which the trial was initiated". The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee of the environment ministry had given Mosanto permission to conduct field trials for Bt maize in Bihar and several other states on December 24. Though the order conveying the decision was also sent to state government officials, Kumar said that these were never received.

Further, the Bihar chief minister said that while Mosanto initiated the trials three days prior to informing the state government on February 24. In his letter, the Bihar chief minister has drawn Ramesh's attention to the need to "investigate whether the isolation requirement and safeguard norms for Bt maize as per protocol were followed or not". Kumar argues that the 300 meters distance is "highly inadequate" as the possibility of pollen travel to other maize fields cannot be ruled out.

The regional station of the IARI ar Samastipur, where the field trial was laid, doesn't provide for a one kilometre isolation distance. "in transgenics one cannot take such risk if one's objective is to ensure that the transgenes do not get fixed," Kumar stressed. He also said that following Ramesh's order, the laid trial was "hurriedly uprooted in an unscientific manner" and without the presence a representative of the state agriculture department.

A move "which cast serious aspersions overall"

Kumar stresses his opposition to Bt maize by underscoring the fact that despite not harnessing the full potential of the existing varieties of maize, the average productivity of the crop in Bihar is more than the national average. "In this background, the claimed advantages of Bt maize and its relevance in Bihar doesn't hold any significance," Kumar's letter to Ramesh states.

The Bihar chief minister reiterated his objections to genetically modified crops by referring to "unresolved environmental issues of erosion of biodiversity, adverse effect on ecology and human health." Kumar, who had opposed the introduction of Bt brinjal [sic.] Kumar's concern is on account of maize being an important cereal crop in the state, which is grown in all three seasons. The state has an annual production of 17 lakh metric tonnes, and accounts for 60 per cent of Rabi maize produced in the country.