NEW DELHI: Amid reports of illegal sowing of genetically modified (GM) crops - HT Cotton and Bt Brinjal - by 'pro-GM' farmers at Akot in Maharashtra's Akola district on June 10, the Centre has written to the state government asking for detailed investigation and verification of facts on the ground.

Reacting to a formal complaint in this regard, the Union environment ministry - a nodal ministry of the central regulator, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) - on Wednesday also asked the Maharashtra government for taking action against all those who might have taken steps to defy the ban on unapproved varieties of transgenic crops in the state.

"I request you to immediately order an investigation and verify the facts on the ground and also conduct gene/event specific testing for suspected illegal cultivation of GM crops ," said joint secretary in the ministry, Richa Sharma, in her letter to the Maharashtra chief secretary AK Mehta.

She on Wednesday wrote, "Appropriate action may be taken to stop any illegal GM cultivation in accordance with the Rules for manufacture, use/import/export and storage of hazardous micro organisms/genetically engineered organisms or cells (1989)".

The ministry also asked the state government to submit a "detailed report on action taken" to the Centre at the earliest.

The joint secretary while asking the state for probe and action referred to a complaint received by the ministry from Rajesh Krishnan on behalf of the Coalition of GM-Free India - a group of civil society members, activists and farmers who have been opposing cultivation of any kind of transgenic crop in India.

Krishnan wrote to the ministry about suspected open cultivation of Bt Brinjal and HT cotton in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra (Akoli Jahangir village, Akot Block) and Punjab.

Though the GEAC allows commercial cultivation of Bt cotton - a transgenic variety, it has not approved the other GM variety of cotton (HT cotton).

On the other hand, Bt brinjal had got approval from the GEAC on its safety aspect in 2009. But, the then government in 2010 had imposed a moratorium on its commercial cultivation in the wake of protests by civil society members and anti-GM groups. Neighbouring Bangladesh, however, allows cultivation of Bt brinjal in the country.

