Aizawl, April 25: A seminar held on Saturday by the Science Teachers Association of Mizoram (STAM) to mark the occasion of Year of Scientific Awareness 2004, the science teachers has strongly questioned many of the MNF government�s policies on whether they would be beneficial for the state as they were not based on scientific findings.

Bringing to fore the government�s policies of importing vegetables, flowers and animals of foreign breed and introducing fish from outside the state to the state�s rivers, members of the STAM of of the opinion that a scientific research should have been done first before putting these policies into practice.

�It is a known fact that it is always better to develop indigenous species than introducing new species which are alien to the climate and the land,� Lalchhanddama Tochhong, the association�s president said adding that the beneficial results of introducing imported fish in the state�s rivers are yet to be seen even after nearly three years after the practice was taken up by the government.

�The government needs make thorough studies before taking up projects that could could cause an imbalance in the ecological system of the state and in those that could prove detrimental for the state and the people in the long run,� he said.

Criticising the idle meat processing plant of the government�s corporation MIFCO, members of the STAM blamed the government for lack of planning when the plant was installed.

They said the government should have first seen that there was enough meat to process before embarking on such an ambitious project.

The MIFCO�s meat processing plant, located on the outskirts of Aizawl, has been lying idle for about four years after its completion.

The science teachers were also of the opinion that heed should be paid to what the idigenous farmers say about their crops and the land than taking for granted the words of so-called experts who have graduated in agricultural studies outside the state.

They said agricultural graduates of the state may have learned a lot during their studies, but conditions of the land where they come from are not incorporated into their studies.

STAM members also deeply concerned about the import of vegetables into the state saying these vegetables can contain harmful chemicals from the chemical fertilisers that they are treated with.

They said they testing facilities for harmful chemicals and adulteration should be in place in all district headquarters.

On imparting awareness to the masses about the usefulness of science even in everyday life, STAM members said the media played an important part in this and members of the media need to take an interest first.

The national awareness of imparting knowledge in science during 2004-05 will be inaugurated Monday at Vanapa Hall here.

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