The Hindu Business Line : Large-scale trials of GM crops: SC issues notice to GEAC

Hyderabad, Nov. 2 The Supreme Court of India has asked GEAC (Genetic Engineering Approval Committee) to respond to the contempt plea moved by Ms Aruna Rodrigues and others on the permission given to large-scale trials for GM crops.

The order was issued on Friday. The issue would come up for hearing in the first week of December. In her petition, Ms Aruna Rodrigues alleged that the Chairman, Co-chairman and Member-Secretary had wilfully and deliberately disobeyed the orders of the Apex Court on further approvals of field trials.

Satisfactory Response

“Blatantly violating the court orders, the GEAC at its 79th meeting on August 8 allowed large-scale field trials of Bt brinjal, transgenic ground and other GM crops,” Ms Rodrigues said in her petition.

She said a legal notice was sent to the Member-Secretary of GEAC. “But there was no satisfactory response from them,” she said in the petition, which sought to initiate contempt proceedings against the regulator.

The other petitioners included Mr P.V. Satheesh of Deccan Development Society, and Mr Devinder Sharma, an expert on agricultural, food and trade policy issues. The petitioners also sought to put in place a protocol, mandating sound scientific examination of relevant aspects of biosafety.

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