———- Forwarded message ———
From: GM Free India <indiagmfree@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2020 at 11:59
Subject: Liability for illegal GMO seed spread – Demanding that GEAC discuss and take action – reg.
To: <asaj.moefcc@gov.in>, <asud.moefcc@gov.in>, <kveluthambi@rediffmail.com>, <sricha@ias.nic.in>, <geac.secretariat@gov.in>, <tk.kathula@nic.in>, <drmadhudikshit@gmail.com>, <nitink.jain@nic.in>, <director.seed@icar.gov.in>, <sbakshi@fssai.gov.in>, <sbakshi.fssai@gmail.com>, <vbandi_1953@yahoo.com>, <sachinandan@ndri.res.in>, Sachinandan De <sachinandan@gmail.com>, <aksingh@iari.res.in>, <prasanna@barc.gov.in>, <aks_gene@yahoo.com>, <penna888@yahoo.com>, Lalitha Gowda <lrgowda2k11@gmail.com>, <sushilgupta-cgwb@nic.in>, Geeta Jotwani <drjgeeta@gmail.com>, <jotwanig@icmr.org.in>, <n.sathyanarayana@nic.in>, <drusharao.ipo@nic.in>, <psbiocontrol@rediffmail.com>, <khurana183@gmail.com>, <dci@nic.in>, <dilipkrmark@yahoo.com>, Ashok Kumar Bhatnagar <akbhatnagar49@gmail.com>, <balu_tnau@yahoo.co.in>
Cc: <mefcc@gov.in>, <secy-moef@nic.in>

 

To:

Ms B V Uma Devi,

Chairperson,

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee,

Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change,

Indira Paryavaran Bhavan, Jor Bagh, New Delhi.

 

Dear Madam,

Sub: Liability not fixed so far on illegal Bt brinjal and HT soy seed producers and suppliers – Demanding that GEAC discuss and take action – reg.

Greetings! We find that in the GEAC meeting agendas, the matter of fixing liability on illegal GMO seed producers and suppliers does not get featured and has not been discussed.

It appears that in both instances of HT soy cultivation confirmed in Gujarat and Bt brinjal cultivation confirmed in Haryana, the actual GM ‘event’ involved has not been ascertained in lab testing. It is clear that without such confirmed information, liability cannot be fixed on a specific GM crop developer.

By not insisting that labs take up event-specific testing and by not sharing the event-specific testing protocols and primers, India’s apex regulatory body is ending up shielding the illegal producers and suppliers.

In the past too, we wrote about the fact that it is time that India’s regulations incorporated liability on the event developer for any illegal spread of GMOs. In the absence of such a liability regime, illegal leakages and proliferation are likely to continue.

In 2019 itself, GEAC was requested to disclose which events and whose events have been illegally planted. This year, illegal plantings have continued quite brazenly.

Kindly confirm and also publish on the GEAC website which government labs are accredited, equipped and have the capability to undertake event-specific testing. Kindly also share what testing has been done, for which illegal crops and when, along with results. We particularly request the lab reports on Bt brinjal given that GEAC is discussing BRL II trials of Bt brinjal at present.

We realise that GEAC itself will not attend to this unless prodded by citizen groups like ours, and therefore, urge you to make this into an explicit agenda for discussion and action from GEAC. We also request you to let us know about liability fixed so far for violations of the EP Act and its Rules. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Kavitha Kuruganti

Ph: 8880067772

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Coalition for a GM-free India 

Website: www.indiagminfo.org, email : indiagmfree@gmail.com,  Facebook page – GM Watch India