Monsanto’s secret field trials of GM maize exposed: by none else than Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Monsanto’s secret field trials of GM maize exposed: by none else than Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Delhi, Patna: The Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to his amazement discovered that even as he was formulating his position against field trials on Bt maize in a few districts in Bihar, the Monsanto trials were already under way even before Monsanto received a permission.

In a letter to the union environment minister, Nitish Kumar complained that soon after he made his opposition to the Bt trials public, GM maize sowed beforehand in a farm in Samastipur was destroyed in a “hurried” manner on Monday after it was found that it did not have GEAC permission. The GEAC had approved field trials at two locations in Bihar —Debusarfai and Bhagalpur.

Nitish also informed Jairam Ramesh that Bihar has got photographic evidence that suggests the Bt crop was destroyed at 5 am at Pusa research centre in Samastipur and replaced with a cereal after NGOs learnt about it and informed the CM’s office.

In the latest development, Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has ordered a probe into how trials on genetically-modified maize were initiated at a location not approved by biotech regulator Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC). Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday fired another salvo at Ramesh saying the state government was not informed about the trial of GM maize at the location.

Ramesh also told reporters that he has directed the GEAC to probe the issue and submit a report. “I have sought an explanation from GEAC…” the minister said, emphasising on the need to conduct trials as per the requirements of the state governments.

To quote Nitish’s letter to the Environment Minister ‘the GEAC had communicated its decision to Monsanto India Limited on December 12, 2010 and marked a copy to various officials of the state government, which was never received by the department. Monsanto informed the state government about the trials on February 24 but the trial was already laid on February 21 without previous information to the state government’. In his letter to Ramesh, Kumar had sought an investigation into how Monsanto India Limited communicated to Bihar and other states about the field trial.

As for the educated public, even to this day it is still willing to hear more arguments both for and against GM foods. But Monsanto’s covert operations make it clear that the multinational is not in the habit of transparent sharing of information, lending credence to the theory that the company does indeed have some nefarious designs up its sleeves.