Odisha-Bengal Rasagola war: GI Registry serves show-cause

Chennai/Bhubaneswar: In ongoing war between Odisha and neighbouring State West Bengal over GI status to Rasagola, a show-cause notice was served to the Bengal government.

The Geographical Indication (GI) Registry office issued the notice to the West Bengal State Food Processing & Horticulture Development Corporation asking it why the GI tag given to ‘Banglar Rasogolla’ will not be withdrawn.

The notice was served following an application for rectification or removal was filed by the Regional Development Trust chairman Ramesh Chandra Sahoo a month ago at GI’s Chhenai office.

The Bhubaneswar-based Trust alleged that West Bengal had received the GI status for ‘Banglar Rasogolla’ from GI Registry office by furnishing false evidence and data.

While West Bengal State Food Processing & Horticulture Development Corporation applied for GI status, Odisha was not given opportunity to clear its stand.

Sahoo filed a petition objecting GI status to ‘Banglar Rasogolla’ bagged by West Bengal government four months ago. He also questioned on the data and documents provided by the neighbouring state for getting GI tag for Rasagola.

“We had filed an ‘objection petition’ against ‘Banglar Rasogolla’ and the GI office served show-cause notice to West Bengal government accepting our application for withdrawal of GI tag to ‘Banglar Rasogolla’,” columnist and Jagannath cult researcher Asit Mohanty told Odisha Sun Times.

Earlier, a PIL was filed in Orissa High Court in February this year seeking GI tag for ‘Odishara rasagola’ and scrapping the tag received by the West Bengal. Susanta Sahu, Secretary of Punya Utkal Foundation and Santosh Kumar Sahoo, Editor of Odia Parba, filled the PIL at the court in the larger interest of people in the State.

Notably, rasagola existed in Odisha since 15th-16th century as it has been mentioned in the ‘Dandi Ramayana’. Despite historical proof and evidence about origin of rasagola, the state government did not proceed further to stake the claim that sweet had its origin in Odisha.