GI Tag To Odishara Rasagola: Odisha Govt To Submit Details By Aug 1st Week

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government, seeking Geographical Indication (GI) tag for ‘Odishara Rasagola’, has decided to furnish detailed information to the officials concerned by the first week of August.

“We had received a letter from the office of the Controller General of Patents, Design and Trade Marks of the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in June last week this year seeking detailed information on 14 questions on this issue within a month. In reply, we had informed them that we would furnish the details by August 21. However, considering the preparations being done in this regard, we have decided to submit the compliance report in the first week of August,” Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) minister Prafulla Samal told mediapersons here on Wednesday.

Finance minister Sashi Bhusan Behera said the state government had already replied to some of the questions and details on the remaining will be provided soon.

Asked whether the government was keen on getting the GI tag for ‘Odishara Rasagola’, he said had it not been the case, the matter would have been closed long ago.

On February 23, the Odisha Small Industries Corporation (OSIC) had filed an application at the GI Registry office in Chennai seeking the tag for ‘Odishara Rasagola’ with all relevant documents justifying its origin and uniqueness.

The state had a dispute with the neighbouring West Bengal over the origin of Rasagola. While the neighbouring government had sought GI status for ‘Banglar Rosogola’ in 2015 and subsequently awarded in 2017, the Odisha government, which has been claiming the origin of the Rasagola with documentary evidence from several ancient literature dating back to 15th century, had not filed for the GI tag till January this year. It swung into action after the West Bengal got the GI tag for ‘Banglar Rosogola’.