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Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil wants Bt cotton companies to tie up with agriculture universities in the state and pump money into research to find an alternative to itself. Companies that refuse to cooperate will be banned, Vikhe-Patil said. ”I had my serious reservations about Bt even in 1999. It hasn't helped dry-land farmers, like those in Vidarbha. It takes care of only bollworm. But farmers still have to use pesticides for other pests like reddening of leaves (lalya),” the minister told The Indian Express. ”There is a clear mismatch between promised and actual benefits, especially in input costs and productivity.”