By U Sudhakar Reddy
The controversy surrounding Bt brinjal, the first genetically modified food crop developed in India, has turned murkier with the National Biodiversity Authority planning to launch prosecution against a seed company for alleged bio-piracy. The National Bio-diversity Authority, which regulates matters pertaining to biodiversity protection, conservation and use in India, will lodge a complaint against the alleged violators of the Biological Diversity Act for “bio-piracy in promoting Bt brinjal”.
The commercial launch of Bt brinjal has already been kept in abeyance by the Central government following concerns over health, biological and other issues. According to information provided to the Environment Support Group (ESG) in response to a Right to Information query, the NBA admitted that the “matter was under advanced stage of lodging a complaint”. The filing of the complaint against this serious environmental crime assumes launching of criminal prosecution against the violators.
Leo F. Saldanha, coordinator/trustee of the Environment Support Group had filed a complaint accusing, the world’s largest agritech company, Monsanto, along with its Indian partner, Mahyco, and several government institutions, of accessing over 16 varieties of brinjal endemic to India in comprehensive violation of the Biological Diversity Act while promoting the commercial release of transgenic Bt brinjal.