The Hue and cry over BT Brinjal

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Friday stood firm in his resolve to go ahead with commercially using BT Brinjal.

Pawar told the media that initially there maybe constraints but in the long run it will only prove to be an advantage for India.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had voiced apprehensions about the crop as according to him safety methods that it went through were flawed.

Pawar’s Cabinet colleague and Science & Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan came to his defence and countered Jairam’s claims.

The Environment Ministry has the responsibility of briefing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the matter.

Bt Brinjal is a transgenic variety created by inserting a
gene for giving the plant resistance against pests and is
being promoted by Mahyco along with University of Agriculture
Sciences, Dharwad, and Tamil Nadu Agriculture University,
Coimbatore.

Beginning from first public hearing which was held on
January 13, the Minister has been meeting with stiff
resistance from green lobby so much so that in Kolkata he had
heated argument with a scientist opposing commercial
cultivation of the genetically modified vegetable.

Ramesh has also held hearings in Bhubneswar and
Ahmedabad.