GI tag to Banglar Rasogolla challenged

Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar Regional Development Trust (BRDT) has filed an application with the Intellectual Property office at Chennai demanding cancellation of geographical indication (GI) tag to ‘Banglar Rasogolla’.

With the help of Utkal Association of Madras, Ramesh Chandra Sahoo on Tuesday filed the application on behalf of BRDT.

Writer Sushant of ‘Punya Utkal’ and the editor of the literary magazine ‘Odia Parva’ Santosh Kumar Sahoo were present on the occasion.

The tag given to Banglar Rasogolla would have become permanent if no objection were filed in this regard within three months’ from the date of status given to West Bengal. West Bengal was given the GI tag on November 12, 2017.

Sahoo alleged that West Bengal has received the GI status through manipulation.

“Our 1000 years old literature like Madalapanji have descriptions of ‘Rosogolla.’ Even the ‘Dandi Ramayan’ written 500 years ago by Balaram Das also has the description of this syrupy sweet,” said Sahoo.

He also blamed the Odisha government for not applying for the GI tag in favour of the state.

The state government claims the sweet originated from Jagannath temple in Puri, being associated with the religious rituals since the 12th century. Some researchers have also submitted a report to the state government substantiating origin of Rasagola in Odisha. However, the state government is yet to apply to claim the sweet syrupy in favour of the state.

On the other hand, West Bengal asserted that confectioner Nobin Chandra Das created the same in the 1860s and managed to get GI tag to Banglar Rasogolla.

The cultural organization ‘Punya Utkal’ and literary magazine ‘Odia Parba’ had filed a PIL at Odisha High Court seeking to annul the GI tag to ‘Banglar Rasogolla’.