Patiala, July 14 -- The Coalition for a genetically modified-Free India, a group of NGOs and other stakeholders opposing the genetically modified (GM) crops, has written to the state government seeking immediate withdrawal of the no-objection certificate (NOCs) to Bayer (formerly Monsanto) for conducting penultimate-stage field-trials of genetically modified maize at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. The coalition is asking for the scientific and regulatory basis on which Punjab is going ahead with the trials. The field trials include herbicide-tolerant maize and insect-resistant Bt maize. "Bayer applied for penultimate stage trials for herbicide-tolerant maize and insect-tolerant Bt maize in multiple locations of 11 states, including Haryana, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, MP, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. PAU is the only one which seemed to have responded positively. Against this backdrop, the Punjab government and PAU have to show what is the additional safety information they hold than any other state which makes the state government give NOCs," questioned Kavitha Kuruganti, co-convener, Coalition for a GM-Free India, in a letter to the Punjab government. As per the coalition, the state government had earlier banned the use of glyphosate, the herbicide linked with severe health and environmental hazards, which is exactly what the GM maize has been engineered to tolerate. "How can the state now allow trials of glyphosate-resistant crops in direct contradiction to its own policies?" asked the coalition. PAU vice-chancellor SS Gosal said, "We have conducted trials of genetically modified crops in the past too. These biosafety trials are conducted in compliance with strict guidelines issued by the Union government."...