Ban all Bt crops, CPM urges State government

CHENNAI:  While welcoming the State government’s announcement that it would not promote Bt cotton, the CPM on Tuesday urged the government to ban all Bt crops in the interest of the farmers in Tamil Nadu.Participating in the discussion on the demand for grants for Agriculture Department in the State Assembly, CPM member K Balakrishnan said the Bt varieties were dangerous and would not help the farmers.Meanwhile, hailing  Tamil Nadu government‘s plan to buy pulses via procurement centres, he urged government to open similar ones in all districts. A law should be enacted to stop use of agricultural lands for other purposes, he said.When Balakrishnan said Tamil Nadu government should ban the use of controversial pesticide Endosulfan, Agriculture Minister K A Sengottaiyan said the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court had banned the use of Endosulfan and the Tamil Nadu government had ordered that the pesticide should not be sold in the State.