The Biotechnology Regulatory Authority Bill, 2011 was listed to be tabled in the Lok Sabha by Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh, the Minister of Science and Technology today. The Bill has been courting controversy ever since the government tried to formulate a proposal for a new regulatory body, allegedly to create a single window clearance system for Genetically Modified [GM] crops in the country. The new authority is proposed to be based within the Ministry of Science and Technology which also has the mandate to promote GM crops.
Sri Basudev Acharya, CPI[M] Leader of the party in Lok Sabha who found the proposed BRAI objectionable stated that, “There are numerous concerns with relation to the health and environmental safety of GM crops.” Acharya who is also the chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture further opined, “This bill read along with other legislations like the seed bill, that is up for tabling in this session, shows the government's real intent of siding the biotech seed corporations against the farmers and consumers of our country.”
Dr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Former Union minister for rural development and Member of Parliament from Bihar while stating his opposition to the BRAI bill in the Lok Sabha called it a threat to our food safety and a recipe for destruction of our agriculture and rural livelihoods. He stated, “The bill in its current form is a classic case of conflicting interests where the ministry which is supposed to promote GM crops have been asked to regulate it for safety.”
The bill proposes to set up a five member Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India, of which two are part-time members, under the Ministry of Science and Technology which will take all decisions on the research, transport, import, manufacture and use of organisms and products created through modern biotechnology. All the other institutions proposed as part of the regulatory system like the Inter Ministerial Governing Board and the Biotechnology Advisory Council are all advisory or supportive in nature. The Bill also reverses the state government’s role in permitting open air field trials of GM crops.
“The sly and hasty manner in which the Government is trying to table the bill in the parliament, without even putting the draft bill in the public domain for any discussion is a commentary on the complete lack of transparency and accountability of our government,” said Kapil Mishra, sustainable agriculture campaigner of Greenpeace India. He further expressed shock at the sweeping powers being given to the proposed authority even to over ride the Right to Information Act 2005, “BRAI will take away the people's right to information on things as essential as biosafety assessment of GM crops.”
GM crops have been in a controversy ever since the introduction of Bt cotton, the only GM crop commercially cultivated in India, owing to their impacts on health, environment and socio-economic fabric of this country. Bt brinjal, the first food crop to have reached the commercialization stage, was put under an indefinite moratorium last year due to the above concerns being raised by farmers, consumers, sections of the scientific community and civil society groups.
“BRAI is a ploy by the government to circumvent the massive opposition seen against GM crops in the country” said Neha Saigal Greenpeace activist who was dragged away by the police while unfurling the banner in front of the parliament. She also opined that “Our government wants to give backdoor entry to potentially dangerous GM crops like Bt Brinjal and the sad part is that the proposed system even fails to do sufficient independent safety assessments before approving GM crops.”
Greenpeace urged the Members of Parliament not to approve any proposal on a regulatory framework for modern biotechnology and its applications/products that overlooks biosafety for our citizens and our environment. “Instead the Government should table a legislation to protect and enhance biosafety and to ensure democratic processes are adhered to when dealing with issues as important as food and farming in our country” Mishra concluded.
END - -
Note to Editor:
1. Link to the BRAI Bill: http://www.prsindia.org/uploads/media/Biotech/Biotech%20Regulatory%20Auhority%20Bill,%202011.pdf
2. Link to the critique of the bill: http://www.greenpeace.org/india/Global/india/report/brai%20%20critique.pdf
Contact:
Kapil Mishra, Sustainable Agriculture Campaigner, Greenpeace India – 
, Mob: +91 9818066041
Pari Trivedi, Media Officer, Greenpeace India – 
,
Mob: +91 7503893981