New Delhi: Application of transgenic technology in agriculture has become a controversial issue in the country.

Though the regulator, Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has approved commercialization of the country’s first genetically modified (GM) food crop, Bt Brinjal, the Union minister for environment and forests, Jairam Ramesh has withheld the approval and has decided to seek public view on “this sensitive issue.”

In the series of public consultations which has already begun, the minister is facing widespread public protests against the GEAC’s approval of Bt brinjal. There were protests in Kolkata, Bhubaneswar and Ahmedabad.

The chief ministers of Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and some other states have given their views against the commercial release of this food crop, according to Ramesh.

Some geneticists like Dr Pushp M Bhargava have opposed the way the Bt brinjal was approved. Dr Bhargava was a special invitee to the GEAC meetings by the order of the Supreme Court of India. He is critical about the weak biosafety protocol for approval.

The Supreme Court which took up for hearing on Tuesday two public interest litigations filed against the introduction of GM crops – one filed by Aruna Rodrigues, PV Satheesh, Rajeev Baruah and the other by Gene Campaign convener Suman Sahai – asked the government to clarify on the issue of biosafety protocol and as to why largescale field trials could not be carried out in contained greenhouses as asked by the petitioners.

The special bench of the apex court consisting of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, Justice DS Chauhan and Justice JM Bansal took up the two PILs for hearing.

“The apex court has asked the government to clarify as to why largescale field trials cannot be conducted in contained greenhouses so as to avoid the possibility of genetic contamination. We had asked for such a provision,” said the counsel for Aruna Rodrigues and others, Prashant Bhushan.

The counsel for Gene Campaign, Sanjay Parekh said “we had questioned the weak and inadequate safety protocols for the approval. The Rules of 1989 are inadequate to ensure any safety measures”

The minister for science and technology, Prithviraj Chavan when asked to comment on the proposed commercial release of Bt brinjal refused to give any categorical answer. He claimed the success of Bt cotton in the country.

Chavan was addressing the conferences of editors on social sector issues here on Tuesday.

However, the secretary in the department of biotechnology, MK Bhan said that he was satisfied with the approval by GEAC. “The GEAC approval was on the basis of scientific evidences,” he said.

Earlier on Monday the Union minister for environment and forests, Jairam Ramesh had said that he would take a final view by February 20 taking into consideration the inputs from public consultations.