Bt Brinjal decision will reflect general sentiment: Ramesh

Barely two days left for his ministry to take a final call on commercialisation of Bt Brinjal, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh today said the decision would reflect "people's general sentiment".

Barely two days left for his ministry to take a final call on commercialisation of Bt Brinjal, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Monday said the decision would reflect "people's general sentiment".

HT Image

"I have to be sensitive to the public opinion, be responsible to science. I have to look at the interest of consumers, producers and think of conservation of bio-diversity and yet think of the need to reduce the use of pesticides," Ramesh told reporters in Kochi.

"It is not easy to make a decision and I do not expect anybody to be happy with what I will decide," he said.

But it is a decision that will reflect the "general sentiment" of the people, the minister, who on February 6 concluded the nation-wide consultations on the genetically modified crop in Bangalore, said.

To a suggestion that his statements on Bt Brinjal reflected double standards, Ramesh shot back saying even before he had announced his decision, he was being accused of "double standards".