Greenpeace seeks Sonia’s intervention for redrafting bill
August 21st, 2010 - 9:30 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) Environmental NGO Greenpeace Saturday sought National Advisory Council (NAC) chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s intervention for redrafting a proposed legislation that will act as a single window clearance mechanism for GM crops in the country.
According to the organisation, the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI) Bill, cleared by the cabinet early this week, proposes a centralised technocratic decision-making authority with no scope for democratic intervention.
“The BRAI will be the apex authority for taking decision on GM food. It gives no role to state governments in the approval of GM crops even though agriculture is a state subject under the Indian constitution,” said Rajesh Krishnan, the Sustainable Agriculture Campaign manager of Greenpeace India.
He said sections of the bill supersede the Right to Information Act and place the decision to disclose information for public interest with the authority instead of the Central Information Commission or the Delhi high court.
“The BRAI would kill any informed public debate on GM crops in future, one of the aspects that helped in stopping Bt Brinjal,” Krishnan said.
“BRAI kills consumer choice and promotes GM polluters as it has no provision for labelling of GM crops, or liability of the crop developer due to economic losses by contamination,” he said.
- 500 kg of baingan ka bharta to protest BT Brinjal! - Sep 04, 2011
- Stop bill on genetically modified crops, NGOs tells PM - Sep 05, 2011
- Herbicide tolerant GM crops pose serious health threat: Greenpeace - Aug 04, 2011
- 350-kg 'bharta' to oppose Bt brinjal - Sep 06, 2011
- Ban genetically modified crops: Greenpeace India - Oct 19, 2010
- Don't table biotech bill in parliament, CPI to PM - Mar 14, 2010
- Decision on Bt. Brinjal not influenced by NGOs: Jairam (Second Lead) - Feb 26, 2012
- Bt.Brinjal decision not influenced by NGOs, asserts Jairam (Lead) - Feb 26, 2012
- Ravi Shankar opposes GM food in India - Mar 06, 2010
- Farmers, green groups welcome moratorium on Bt Brinjal - Feb 09, 2010
- Group wants bio-regulatory bill withdrawn - Sep 02, 2011
- State chiefs don't want hasty decision on Bt brinjal: Jairam Ramesh - Jan 28, 2010
- No question of lifting moratorium on Bt Brinjal: Ramesh - Sep 27, 2010
- No decision on Bt Brinjal release before February (Roundup) - Oct 15, 2009
- PM upholds moratorium on Bt Brinjal - Feb 24, 2010
Tags: brai, brinjal, campaign manager, delhi high court, economic losses, environmental ngo, gm crops, gm food, greenpeace, indian constitution, information commission, national advisory council, polluters, public debate, rajesh krishnan, right to information act, sonia gandhi, state governments, state subject, sustainable agriculture