Odisha set to lose GI battle over rasagola against WB

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Oct 6:

With the three official committees entrusted with the task of building Odisha’s case as the place of origin of rasagola asking for one more month to gather facts, the state may well have handed over the coveted geographical indication (GI) tag for the syrupy sweet on a platter to its neighbour West Bengal.

“The government had given us 15 days’ time. But it’s not possible to do it within 15 days. It will require another one month,” said an official of the Science & Technology (S & T) department.

West Bengal, it may be noted, woke up only after Odisha initiated the move to get GI status for the famous Pahala Rasagola, but got its act together in a jiffy and has already submitted its application.

The Odisha government, in contrast, is still twiddling its thumb over questions like how Odisha’s rasagolla is different from that of its neighbour? Does Pahala rasagola and Salepur rasagola have any specialities that the one in Bengal doesn’t?

The three committees formed by the Science & Technology department were asked to submit their report within 15 days after which the application for the GI tag would have been made to the Geographical Indications Registry.

But with the committees now asking for more time, the battle is as good as lost.

Officials, however, are still tying to put up a brave front and assure everyone that all is not lost yet.

“Rasagola was invented in Odisha in the 12^th century and was offered as ‘prasad’ to Lord Jagannath. Even if they have applied before us, our stake will stand,” the official of the S & T department boasted.