Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has issued notice to all the parties including the Odisha government in connection with the PIL seeking Geographical Indication (GI) tag for 'Odishara Rasagola' and scrapping GI tag received by West Bengal for 'Banglar Rasogolla.'
Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Chennai Intellectual Property Office (IPO) and West Bengal State Council of Science & Technology have been instructed by the court to submit their reply within eight weeks.
"We had requested in the PIL that SJTA and Odisha government should take immediate measures to get GI tag for 'Odishara Rasagola' and the GI tag received by West Bengal for 'Banglar Rasogolla' should be scrapped. The court, after hearing the petition issued a notice and has sought a reply within eight weeks," said petitioners' advocate Sidharth Prasad Das.
The PIL was filed on February 5, 2018 by social organisation Odia Parba and Punya Utkal Trust. The petitioners alleged the Rasagola has been a part of Jagannath culture therefore its use in Odisha is centuries-old; however, due to inaction of the Odisha government, neighbouring State West Bengal was able to get GI tag for 'Banglar Rasogolla' on November 14, 2017.
It was only three months after West Bengal was awarded GI tag for 'Banglar Rasogolla,' the Odisha government filed an application for the GI tag to stake claim for 'Odishara Rasagola.'
Officials of the Odisha Small Industries Corporation Ltd (OSIC) filed the application with the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai on February 23, 2018.