No health expert in panel to examine GM mustard bio-safety data

Coalition for a GM-Free India questioned whether the risk assessment report given by the sub committee, which has claimed that the hybrid does not not pose any risk to biodiversity or agro-ecosystem, was even “reliable and scientific” as it had no health experts in it.

Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) had constituted a sub-committee of scientific experts to examine the biosafety data on GM mustard. The report was placed on the Environment Ministry’s website, inviting comments from stakeholders within a period of 30 days before the biotech regulator took a decision.

“The sub-committee of seven was constituted with at least three members having conflicting interests. Why should the public trust the work of this committee, especially given that the biosafety dossier is being kept away from the public? 

“Most importantly, there was no health safety expert in the sub-committee processes and the report still gives a green signal to biosafety is this reliable and scientific?” Kavitha Kuruganti from the coalition said.

The Coalition alleged that K Veluthambi who is the chair of sub-committee and co-hair of GEAC was a “GM crop developer” till his retirement recently, working on GM rice development for disease-resistant transgenic rice, with DBT and Rockefeller support.