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Ryots body asks AP to stop Monsan from conducting field trials

Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha president M D Nanjundaswamy has urged Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu to withdraw the permission given to the United States-based Monsanto for conducting field trials on Bollgard cotton.

He told mediapersons in Bangalore on Friday that mere oral orders are not sufficient, that permission has to be withdrawn in writing.

The Karnataka government should also follow suit, he added.

Prof Nanjundaswamy clarified that the KRRS was not taking up the terminator technology issue but was fighting against conducting field trials on BT cotton by Monsanto company.

Meanwhile, the University of Agricultural Sciences is organising a seminar on transgenic plants, technology and other issues in Bangalore on December 22. The event will seek to clear doubts and confusion about the terminator and transgenic technologies.

Karnataka agricutlure minister C Byre Gowda said there was confusion over the two technologies. While transgenic technology did not affect germination of the seed, terminator genes did, he added.

He said: "We are strongly opposed to terminator technology and the Union government should take suitable action. The state government had already written to the Centre in this regard," he added.

On the demand by the KRRS for filing criminal proceedings against Monsanto for carrying out field trials on Bollgard cotton "without permission" in the state, he said they had obtained permission from the biotechnology department.

UNI

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