For the first time, the State government filed cases of cheating and criminal breach of trust in 18 districts against Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco) for failing to deliver the promised quota of a single variety of Bt cotton seeds in the 2011 kharif season. Official sources said before sowing last year, Mahyco had accepted bookings from dealers and retailers for 16.76 lakh packets of MRC 7351 variety Bt cotton seeds but delivered only 9-10 per cent of what was assured. The company could only produce 9.88 lakh packets of this variety in the country. Of this [...] The seeds, priced at Rs. 930 per packet of 450 gm, sold in the black market for Rs. 1500 to Rs. 3000.