"Recently reports have appeared in a section of the press regarding the harmful effect of American terminator seeds to Indian Agriculture.

    Terminator gene, according to the University of Agriculture Science, Bangalore, is one that blocks the genetically altered seed from germinating after one season. This is lethal and poses a global threat to farmers, bio-diversity and food and ecological security. The use of this technology would threaten the farmers’ rights to save the seed for their harvest. Because of the lethal nature of the product, the public has been asked to be vary of the introduction of genetically modified foods in many parts wherever this technique is being tried to be introduced.

    A patent on control of plant gene expression has been taken jointly by Delta & Pineland Company, which is a subsidiary of Monsanto and the United States Department of Agriculture for controlling the viability of seed produced without adversely affecting the crop. In the patent, the method of producing the transgenic plants that renders seeds sterile, has been used. The technology alters the genetic constitution of seed so that it will not germinate if used for raising the second crop.

    The company claims that terminator technology is useful to the extent that it improves the productivity of crop and will provide more choices to the farmers for selecting high yielding varieties’ seeds. However, it is harmful in many ways. The farmer will be dependent upon terminator seed and will have to buy the same seed again and again. The company producing the seed can charge any price from the farmers. The farmer will not be in a position to use seeds saved from the previous crops. It will threaten the farmers’ expertise in seed selection and traditional conservation-cum-improved ways of carrying forward the seeds. The technology would have serious implications on the crop bio-diversity. It may lead to gradual extinction of traditional varieties. Crop related wild varieties, important for natural evolution for crop species would be affected by cross-contamination. This concern would be of special relevance to India, since the country abounds in land races and wild relatives of crop plants.

    The terminator technology for transgenic gene has not yet been developed to a stage where seeds incorporating such technologies can actually be produced. Monsanto has entered into Memorandum of Understanding with Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore regarding general research which according to them does not include research on terminator seeds.

    There is no threat of American terminator seeds to Indian Agriculture as legal entry of such a seed has not been allowed in Indian market. The Directorate of Plant Protection, Quarantine and Storage of the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation has issued instructions to the import permit issuing authorities to ensure that seeds imported into India are not having terminator genes. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research and Department of Bio-Technology will develop a suitable technology and also standardise the technique for detecting the terminator genes or their combination in the seeds. It would also be ensured that entry of transgenic planting material in the country even for research purpose should be done only through one entry point.

    While appreciating the concern of the Members on the threat to Indian Agriculture because of Terminator Gene, I can assure the Members that the Government is aware of the dangers of introduction of terminator gene in the country and all efforts are being made to ensure that such transgenic material does not find legal entry into India. The interests of Indian farmers would be fully protected."
 
 

    Whenever the misuse is detected and reported to DDA a show cause notice to the misuser is issued under the provision of the Delhi Development Act 1957. If no satisfactory reply is received and the allottee fails to stop the misuse prosecution proceedings are initiated.
 
 

    The Prime Minister said that for meeting the increasing demands of our growing population, urgent planning and management of water resources for their efficient, economical and equitable use is necessary. This was stated here today by the Prime Minister at the 19th Annual General Meeting of the National Institute of Hydrology Society.

    Stating that this year too drought hit some parts of the country, while floods damaged other parts, he said proper scientific studies are needed to evolve strategies to manage these extreme situations.

    Prime Minister's speech was read out by the Minister of State for Agriculture, Shri Sompal.

    Expressing concern over the overdue of groundwater and worsening of ground water quality, the Prime Minister said by 2000 A.D. the per person water available for drinking would be less than half of what it was 40 years back.

    Stating that watershed development should be promoted to minimise the effect of drought in rainfed areas, he said suitable water harvesting measures for conserving best use of surface water and recharging ground water was required.
 
 

    The Commerce Minister considered the problems being faced by the trade and the representation from the tobacco farmers and issued directions to take specific action on the following points:

    Giving this information in a written reply in Lok Sabha today, the Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Dr. A.K. patel said the prices as measured by the Wholesale Price Index (base 1981-82=100), have increased by 11.43 percent in respect of drugs and medicines in 1997-98 over 1995-96 as compared to 11.49 percent increase for all commodities during the same period. Hence the price rise in medicine is in consonance with other commodities. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority has conducted a survey. Mixed trend has been noticed. In some drugs, prices have gone up while in other drugs, they have either fallen or remained unchanged.
 
 

    Giving this information in a written reply in Lok Sabha today, Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, Dr. A.K. Patel said that no instances of nexus between multinational companies and the bulk drugs producing companies have come to the notice of the Government.
 
 

    Shri Mathur referred to the presence of toxic and dangerous weed seeds in wheat imports as an ‘irritant’ which could affect bilateral trade in the immediate future. In view of the harmful effects of these weeds on consumer, our Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act specifies maximum limits of toxic weeds such as Aagemone mexicana, Dhatura and Akra etc. Shri Mathur said; and pointed out that in the case of wheat imported from Australia as many as 45 species of weeds have been intercepted by our plant quarantine authorities.

    IGC provides an International Forum for information sharing among member countries. It is a high level forum where senior private sector representatives and policy-makers of the Government discuss issues affecting the global grains industry. Through the Council, India is able to remain in touch with development in international grains trade as well as grain market conditions for the purpose of import and export.

    India is a member of the Council since its inception in 1949. The Council plays an important role in regulating and promoting international trade in wheat besides promoting international cooperation in matters relating to wheat generally.
 
 

    Government has also given LOIĘs to M/s. Nippon Denro Ispat Limited (now Ispate Industries Limited) to set up a 9 MMTPA refinery project and to M/s. Ashok Leyland to set up a 2 MMTPA lube refinery project in Orissa.

    This information was given by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
 
 

    After the introduction of the parallel marketing scheme, a number of private parties including foreign companies have participated in the scheme by creating infrastructure for import of LPG, bottling of LPG and distribution network. Cumulatively upto 31.10.1998, 19 parties have imported about 451.5 TMT of LPG in bulk at various ports under parallel marketing scheme. During 1997-98, the market share of the private parties in the total sale of LPG in the country was about 4.6%. They are meeting the requirement of LPG of some consumers for industrial, commercial and the domestic uses. Their sale of LPG supplements the effort of the Public Sector Oil Companies.
 
 

    Some of the new oil finds are still under assessment and delineation for evaluating their potential. The production from 28 locations has commenced and its cumulative production during the period has been about 0.90 MMT. The left over reserves from the new locations are estimated to be about 11 MMT.

    This information was given by Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar, Minister of State for Petroleum & Natural Gas in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
 
 

    For Kerala the ministry has approved financial assistance of Rs. 2 crore for setting up a food park at Kakkancherry, Malappuram District of which Rs. 1.25 crore has already been released. The project is under implementation and has incurred an expenditure of Rs. 5.50 crore on land and other infrastructure development.

    Food park in West Bengal is being set up at Dankuni in Hooghly district with financial assistance of about Rs. 3 crore from the centre out of which Rs. 75 lakhs has been released so far. The proposed project for food park for processing and preservation of fish will be located in Mouza Chakgaria in 24-Parganas at a cost of Rs. 13.08 crore which is still in the preliminary stage of implementation; Shri Sompal said.
 

    Citing the Prime Minister’s assertion that promotion of IT would be one of the top priorities of the Government, the Minister said that the National Agenda for Governance has also mandated the government to take necessary policy and programme initiatives which would facilitate India’s emergence as an IT superpower in the shortest possible time. Information Technology, Shri Bakht added, has been the most important branch of applied science which has revolutionised the development in economic and social environment globally.

    The Minister also said that the government have made some revisions and additions to the existing policy to accelerate the drive for setting up a world class info infrastructure to ensure a fast nationwide onset of the INTERNET, EXTRANETS and INTRANETS. A congenial ambience for IT industry would be created so as to target a $50 billion annual export of IT software and services by the year 2008. In this connection, Shri Bakht mentioned the incentives like duty exemption on capital goods, raw materials and components for manufacture of IT products.

    The Minister said that there is a proposal to launch programmes aiming at universalizing computer literacy and boosting IT for agriculture and integrated rural development.
 
 

    Initially, about 1,000 VPTs are proposed to be provided during 1999-2000 to cover remote/inaccessible places at an estimated cost of Rs.18 crores.
 

    Dr. Joshi also called upon the scientific community to help in transferring the benefits of the research to mankind especially the poor and the disadvantaged sections of the society. He asked them to establish inter-linkages with various universities, institutions and medical research centres dealing with biochemistry, biotechnology, immunology and molecular biology. He stressed the need for imparting large-scale training to such scientists across the country who in turn would further impart training to other scientists and research scholars. Thus, he said the trainer’s training programme assumes greater importance and should be accorded top priority, as it alone will help in the wide spread transfer of technology.

    Dr. Joshi appreciated the on going efforts of the NCCS to concentrate in the field of identification of Oncogenes of melanoma, factors affecting the growth of the B-cells which is responsible for controlling diabetes, and efforts towards propagation of exo-erythrocytic cultures of malarial parasite (P falciparum).

    The NCCS based in Pune is a premier research institution of the Department of Biotechnology and supplies cell lines and hybridomas to 128 research centres in 90 cities of the country.
 
 

    The Union Minister said that a mid-term assessment of utilisation of funds was made in August, 1998. He said that so far under the scheme, funds have been mainly released for two sets of activities that is data capture through the district level offices, preparation of sites, purchase of consumables etc. and for purchase of hardware, software etc.

    The Minister added that under the activity so far Rs. 84.62 crores have been sanctioned to the States and cumulative utilisation of Rs. 22.46 crores have been received so far. The Minister, however, said that actual utilisation figures could be higher as data regarding some expenditure which has to be collected from lower levels has not been reported so far. Shri Patil said that the reason for non-utilisation of sanctioned funds have been mainly due to the delay made by the State Finance Departments in releasing the funds to the implementing agencies and also data capture being a very slow process and resultantly the utilisation of funds for data capture has been naturally slow.