PIL in Orissa HC seeks GI tag for ‘Odishara rasagola’

Cuttack: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in Orissa High Court here today seeking Geographical Indication (GI) tag for “Odishara rasagola” and scrapping the tag received by the West Bengal.

According to sources, 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.

Odisha government, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration, Chennai Intellectual Property Office (IPO), West Bengal State Council of Science & Technology have been made parties in the PIL, the source maintained.

Notably, in November last year, West Bengal has bagged the GI tag for “Banglar Rasogolla” evoking an immediate reaction that the Odisha lost the battle to the neighbouring state.

However, finance minister Sa-shi Bhusan Behera was quick to reject such apprehensions and said the process was on to get GI tag for the Odisha variety of the sweet.