Shimila: Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister has said that some of the multi national companies were wreaking havoc in India by spreading their tentacles through Genetically Modified (GM) food, which needs to be curbed by imposing adequate restrictions. He said that like drug mafia, seed mafia was operating in India through powerful network and strong mechanism of multi national companies. The Genetically Modified seeds and food were responsible for bringing physical disorders and deformity in human beings not only in other countries of the world but India as well and it was a matter of grave concern.

Chief Minister was addressing senior officers of the State Government including Deputy Commissioners after the most significant keynote address delivered by Padam Bhushan Dr. P.M. Bhargav, an international authority on GM food here today.

Prof. Dhumal said that Genetically Modified food had an adverse affect on the health of human beings but a strong nexus between the market forces, GM food had made inroads into our society. He said that East India Company had made the country slave for more than 200 years and now the multi national companies were controlling our Agriculture and related economic activities indirectly. He said that according a survey report, in Punjab the use of GM food by the consumers had led to the deformity among children and the fertility age of women had been reduced drastically.

Chief Minister said that it was quite surprising that how a country of more than 120 crore people had become helpless before the network of seed mafia and GM food. He said that obsolete technology being imported to India on the terms and conditions of other countries and the personal interests of some people and scientists had gripped our country.

Referring to the media hype created by some vested interests about swine flu, some times back, Chief Minister said that some dishonest people sitting in World Health Organization (WHO) had tried to spread panic in India about this flu and their hidden agenda was to sell the medicines and drugs of their own companies and people.

Prof. Dhumal said that the State Government will consider the proposal for imposing moratorium on GM food even for more than 15 years apart from holding an International Conference on the various issues concerning GM food.

Earlier, Dr. P.M. Bhargava in his keynote address opined that the last century had witnessed enormous progress in the field of nuclear technology, space and genetic engineering and all these had posed a great threat to the mankind. He said that GM food had more than 60 adverse affects on the health of human beings. India being an agrarian society, more than 70 percent population lived in rural areas while 62 percent of the population was engaged in agriculture and allied economy.

Referring to the organic farming, Dr. Bhargava told that this new concept in farming was fast gaining popularity and in Andhra Pradesh where two lacs acres of agriculture land was under organic farming will be enhanced to one crore acre of land during the next few years. The market for organic produce was fast expanding in the country and the vegetables and other agro- products so produced were being exported to numerous countries from India.

He said that Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR) had published more than six volumes compiling therein more than 4000 traditional agriculture practices which were in vague in India since times immemorial and most of them these needed to be revived. More than 90 such practices were validated

Emphasising upon the curbs required for discouraging GM Food, Dr. Bhargava maintained that it was high time that everyone rise to the occasion and find out ways and means to completely ban the import of genetically modified seeds and food in our country.

Welcoming the Chief Minister and participants, Shri Narender Chuahan, Principal Secretary, Irrigation and Public Health said that Dr. P.M. Bhargava was an international luminary in the field of science and technology, especially on the food front he had made outstanding contribution. He hoped that the valuable recommendations and observations of Dr. Bhargava will help in the policy formulation for the future agricultural scenario of our hilly State.

Dr. Nagin Nadda, Member Secretary of Science and Technology Department and Director of H.P. Pollution Control Board proposed vote of thanks.