Bhubaneswar: To promote ‘Dahibara Aloodum’ at national and international levels, the Odisha government has recommended for inclusion of the iconic street food of Cuttack city, in Centre’s “One District One Cuisine” scheme.
In a written reply to a a query by Congress MLA Sofia Firdous, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Gokulananda Mallick on Wednesday further informed the Assembly that the government is also ready to support individuals or organisations seeking a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for ‘Dahibara Aloodum’.
“There is no provision under the Act permitting the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Department to directly apply for a GI tag for any product. However, it can facilitate any individual or organization in the GI application process. If an application for GI registration of Dahibara Aloodum is received from any association, individual, or stakeholder involved with the dish, the MSME Department, as the nodal agency, will assist the applicant in completing the registration process with the GI Registry in Chennai,” he said.
The GI tag will help the dish gain wider recognition across the country, enabling large-scale production and benefiting those involved in the business of making and selling it, the Minister added.
A total of 27 products from Odisha have so far received the GI tag, which include 16 types of handicrafts, seven agricultural products and four food items – Odisha rasagola, Kendrapada rasabali, Dhenkanal magji and Similipal kai chutney. Additionally, nine products (eight handicrafts and one food item) are in the process of obtaining GI registration.
