Police, Agriculture officials draw flak for being silent in HT cotton seeds case in Asifabad
Police and Agriculture officials are facing criticism for remaining silent on the investigation into a banned HT cotton seeds case in Kagaznagar. Farmers have expressed concern over the sale of the prohibited seeds and warned of losing trust in the manufacturer if found guilty
Kumram Bheem Asifabad: Both police and Agriculture officials have come under sharp criticism for remaining silent in a case registered against a popular manufacturer from Andhra Pradesh accused of selling banned cotton seeds in Kagaznagar recently.
As per the instructions of higher officials, police and Agriculture officials conducted surprise inspections at a seed trader’s premises in the town on July 2. They found that the trader was selling banned herbicide tolerant (HT) cotton seeds supplied by the manufacturer during the inspections. The value of the seized seeds was assessed at Rs 3.77 lakh.
The cotton seeds were then sent to the Telangana DNA Fingerprinting and Transgenic Crops Monitoring Laboratory in Hyderabad. They were found to be HT cotton seeds prohibited by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee in India. Accordingly, a case was registered against eight persons, including the trader, representatives of the manufacturer and its two managing directors, on July 8.
However, police have refrained from disclosing details of the progress of the investigation. Their silence has sparked criticism. They are said to be hesitating to share details of the probe due to the case’s high-profile nature and possible pressure from senior officials and public representatives.
Meanwhile, the Agriculture officials reportedly collected samples from the trader once again and sent them to the laboratory for further examination. They are expected to initiate action against the manufacturer and the trader once the results are confirmed.
The seizure of the banned HT cotton seeds has created a flutter in the region. Cotton farmers expressed concern over the sale of the banned seeds. They said they had been purchasing seeds from the manufacturer for a long time. They warned that their trust would be broken if the manufacturer was found guilty.
