New Delhi: India’s apex court on Thursday directed the government to respond to the proposals for setting up of an independent laboratory for carrying out relevant health and bio-safety tests of genetically modified (GM) crops and formation of a committee to address the problems of regulation for ensuring safety of GM crops.

The special bench of the Supreme Court consisting of the Chief Justice, KG Balakrishnan, Justice Ashok Ganguly and Justice JM Panchal  observed that the government need to respond to the issues of health, environment and bio-safety raised in the two separate writ petitions – one filed by Aruna Rodrigues, PV Satheesh and Rajiv Baruah and the other by the Gene Campaign.

The next hearing of the case is slated in the last week of August, this year.

The counsel for the petitioner, Aruna Rodrigues and other, Prashant Bhushan said : “We had argued that the field trials and commercial release of GM crops, particularly, Bt brinjal should not be done unless and until proper regulations for ensuring safety aspects are put in p0lace.”

Advocate Sanjay Parekh representing Gene Campaign said : “There are various problems relating to the field trials of GM crops, particularly the disposal of the residues. He   submitted  to the Supreme Court that an expert committee be set up to examine the legal framework governing the research and use of GMOs in India with a specific terms of reference. He argued that an expert committee be formed same as it was done for hazardous waste. The Supreme Court in 1997 had ordered a  high powered expert committee chaired by MGK Menon for regulation of hazardous waste.

Though India has so far approved only one GM crop – Bt cotton – f