1.A transgenic threat to Indian crops
2.Farmers told not to buy Bt cottonseed

It seems from item 2 that Monsanto has agreed to pay compensation to farmers it's harmed with its Bt cotton but is trying to pay as little as possible.

EXCERPTS: Mr. Reddy assured the meeting that the Government would not give permission to Monsanto to market new seed until the company adequately compensated farmers who suffered earlier by sowing Bt varieties of cotton. (item 2)

In Warangal, for instance, [the broadcasters] CNN-IBN found a field trial plot where... most of the trial guidelines have been violated and it's not just a one-off case. (item 1)
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1.A transgenic threat to Indian crops
Sindhu Manjesh
CNN-IBN News, March 27 2006
http://www.ibnlive.com/article.php?id=7386&section_id=3

Hyderabad: India's First Green Revolution was ushered in through hybrid and high yielding seeds. Now Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wants to bring about a second Green Revolution. On the agenda is the use of genetically-engineered seeds.

The Indian Government first approved BT cotton cultivation in 2002. Today, more than a dozen BT cotton varieties are grown in India.

Importantly, 40 more seed varieties of food crops like rice, maize, okra and mustard are also under trial awaiting government approval before they can be commercially grown.

But will transgenic crops wipe out our indigenous crops? Before companies get approval to release a transgenic seed in the market, they must conduct field trials, which are meant to establish whether the seed is beneficial and safe.

For starters, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, or the GEAC, the final authority on regulating GM cropping in India, has no idea where the field trials are taking place.

In fact, private companies like Monsanto and Mahyco actually keep the field trials secret.

"We don't know the exact fields where they are taking place. But we do know how many and in which districts," Co-Chairman of GEAC DD Verma said.

The trials for a whole range of crops are taking place across India. In Warangal, for instance, CNN-IBN found a field trial plot where the farmer has just finished harvesting the crop. But strangely, most of the trial guidelines have been violated and it's not just a one-off case.

And then, the trial field plots are not being isolated as they should be done in order to prevent the contamination of natural crops.

This is dangerous. Because, when not grown under controlled conditions, transgenic crops cross-pollinate with other crops and alter their natural characteristics. This is what scientists call genetic contamination. Transgenic seeds could potentially wipe out a whole variety of indigenous crops, leaving us with little choice over what we grow and eat.

"50 years back we used to have about 30,000 varities of rice but 80 per cent of the rice today is hardly from 10 varities. If you look at the genetic background of those 10 varieties, I think it is only one or two," agricultual scientist Ramanjaneyulu says.

There is no efficient regulatory mechanism that monitors field trials for genetically modified crops in India, and this could have serious consequences for the country's biodiversity.
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2.Farmers told not to buy Bt cottonseed
Special Correspondent
The Hindu, March 28 2006
http://www.hindu.com/2006/03/28/stories/2006032804900400.htm

HYDERABAD:

The State Government has asked farmers not to buy of Bt cottonseed as it was in touch with the seed companies to reduce prices.

Agriculture Minister N. Raghuveera Reddy conveyed this message through farmers organisations he met on Monday. Until the prices were brought down, the farmers should be dissuaded from purchasing the seed, he said.

Mr. Reddy assured the meeting that the Government would not give permission to Monsanto to market new seed until the company adequately compensated farmers who suffered earlier by sowing Bt varieties of cotton. The company had agreed to pay Rs. 1,490 an acre but the organisations demanded Rs. 3,500 an acre. The Government supported the claim of the organisations.

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