Bt Brinjal in deep freezer!
The government has imposed a moratorium on commercialization of Bt Brinjal event EE-I a genetically modified (GM) crop in the country on February 09, 2010 till the time independent scientific studies establish that Bt brinjal is safe for the environment and human health. This was stated by the minister of state (independent charge) for environment and forests, Ms Jayanthi Natarajan in a written reply to a question in the parliament today on March 18, 2013.
"In the absence of consensus, a final decision on the issue may take from couple of months to several years. Therefore, it is not feasible to furnish any tangible time period at present. The final decision on the matter, whenever available will be put up in public domain", added the minister further.
While recalling the follow up to the moratorium on Bt brinjal, Ms Natarajan mentioned that a meeting of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) to consult with experts and scientists on the safety of Bt. Brinjal was held on April, 27, 2011. "While several of the experts recommended limited release of Bt brinjal seeds to evaluate its performance under strict supervision, some experts have suggested additional biosafety studies with respect to long term impacts on biodiversity and health", she added.
