The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), which works under the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, has decided to issue a “warning” to Mahyco following non-compliance with regard to planting non-Bt RRF (Round-up Ready Flex) cotton.

It has also decided to issue a warning to the Director of Central Institute for Cotton Research in Nagpur, asking him not to recommend protocols with unapproved events for field testing without prior approval of the GEAC.

The committee, in its recent meeting, felt that clarifications submitted by the company were not satisfactory as “it does not justify planting of non-Bt RRF cotton hybrids that has not been approved for environmental release.”

The committee, which had taken objection to the company's planting non-Bt RRF cotton as refugia during its trials with Bollgard-II RRF, had served a show-cause notice on the Maharashtra-based company. The company had argued that it complied with all conditions of permits and protocols and that the trials were conducted under the CICR supervision.

“The use of non-Bt RRF in refuge area does not result in environmental release as it was planted in small area with adequate isolation,” the company contended.

The GEAC, however, took a different view on this. “The clarifications are not satisfactory. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all approvals have been obtained prior to initiating the trials.”

“It was decided to issue a warning to Mahyco stating that any non-compliance in future would attract punitive action under the Environmental Protection Act of 1986,” the committee said.

It ruled that data generated during the trials using non-Bt RRF would not be considered for regulatory purpose

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