[HumJanenge] PUBLIC GRIEVANCE: Conflict of Interest of Dr.Rita Sharma/Secy.NAC

To:
The Chairperson
National Advisory Council

BY EMAIL

23-March-2011

Dear Sir / Madam

Sub: Conflict of interest / Office of Profit of Dr. Rita Sharma / Secy-NAC

I am constrained to complain to you about the functioning of Dr. Rita Sharma, Secretary oif the Council.

The said officer has ignored all emails and telephone calls I have made to her requesting basic information which would allow me to participate in various programs / projects of NAC to seek stakeholder views on various issues of national priority.

I was shocked to learn today that Dr Rita Sharma is a Trustee of the International Rice Research Institute, a private foundation headquartered in Manila (Phillipines) which is extensively financed by private bodies and foreign governments. I am shocked to learn that her co-trustees include representatives of MAHYCO India's largest Genetic seeds company (a subsidiary of Monsanto) as also Frederick Berschauer who is the head of the world's largest plant science lobby group.

I am thus aggrieved that Dr Sharma's industry associates are using the NAC to lobby for private/ foreign government food interests whose policies are opposed to the food security of India. I am aggrieved that Dr Sharma is opposed to citizesn of India like my submitting reasoned comments on the draft Food Security Bill Framework being proposed by NAC and has actively / corruptly thwarted by efforts to participate in an informed and meaningful manner in NAC's public processes such as on drafts for RTI Act?Rules and Food Security Bill etc.

For your ready reference I am attaching a PDF of the composition of the Board of Trustees of the IRRI. I request you to kindly inquire into the conflict of interest / Office of Profit issues I am urging concerning Dr Sharma, and to inform me soon of the outcome.

Yours faithfully

Sarbajit Roy
B-59 Defence Colony
New Delhi 110024

Tel : 09311448069