The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) which met today has changed it's earlier decision asking the Gujarat government to destroy the Bt cotton crop and directed the state government to procure cotton which has been grown illegally in various parts of Gujarat.
The cotton crop has, however, been planted not only in Gujarat, but also parts of Maharashtra and Punjab. Seeds have also been sold in Andhra Pradesh for the next season.
However, rather than destroying the crop, the GEAC has said that the Gujarat government should procure the cotton as and when it is picked and that the fibre should be stored, while the seeds and crop residue should be destroyed.