NEW DELHI, Aug 25: Pulling up the Department of Health Research for giving its approval for the commercialisation of Genetically-Modified(GM) crops in the country without thoroughly studying the matter, a Parliamentary panel has asked the Government to reconsider its decision to commercialise GM crops in the country.
”The Committee is of the considered view that without having been scientifically proven that GM crops would have no adverse impact on human health and solely relying on the studies which have not been done here in India and on our own people, negating any adverse impact on human health, the Government should reconsider its decision to commercialise GM crops in the country,” the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forests, headed by Rajya Sabha MP Renuka Chowdhury said in its report on the issue.
The Committee, which today presented 301st report on Genetically Modified crops and its impact on Environment to Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, noted with surprise that the Department of Health Research has not taken any action with regard to examination of impact of GM crops on human health except narrating the studies done in other countries growing GM crops.
”Equally surprising to note is that there has been no in house scientific study carried out till date to study the impact of GM crops on human health,” the panel said.
The Committee said it has failed to understand as to how the Department of Health Research gave its approval for the commercialisation of GM crops in India even without having the matter studied thoroughly on its part.
The Panel said it has found the approach of the Department of Health Research very casual and it was disheartening to note that the Department till date did not bother to collaborate with any of the countries which are growing GM crops for in depth research.
The Committee is of the firm opinion that the Department of Health Research should have taken an initiative instead of sitting idle on the matter and approving the commercialisation of GM crops with making any scientific study for the purpose.
”It is all the more painful to note that only acute and sub-chronic studies have been done and chronic, that is, long term effects have not been studied on the human health anywhere in the world,” the panel said.
The Committee also feels that the Departments concerned with the subject have this approach and indifferent attitude toward the ”issue which if not dealt scientifically may turn out to be a disaster not only for us but for the generations to come also”.
The Panel said if there has been no threat attached to the GM crops either to human health or environment as being claimed by ”our Government agencies, the whole world would have by now adopted this technology”.
The Committee was also at a loss to understand the haste being made for the commercialisation of GM crops in the country. (UNI)
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