On an appeal of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB), Chennai, issued order on Wednesday directing that as per APEDA's proposal, GI Registry, Chennai, should issue certificate of GI Registration within four weeks.
In the context of Madhya Pradesh, it was ordered that GI Registry should re-consider Madhya Pradesh's claim, giving proper hearing opportunity to both the parties and after examining evidences etc, order pertaining to Madhya Pradesh should be passed within six months.
In this context, certificate was issued by GI Registry in above perspective on February 15, 2016. In it, 7 States were covered including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, some districts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, but Madhya Pradesh was not included in it.
It is but natural that if certificate is not recognised then rice produced from the paddy in the State cannot be sold in the name of Basmati rice.
The Madhya Pradesh Government had filed a writ petition immediately against IPAB's order in the Madras High Court. The court in its order dated February 17, 2016 directed APEDA to continue earlier process regarding paddy produced in Madhya Pradesh.
As a result, process regarding GI certificate, as per this GI Certificate will in a way remain suspended till next hearing on April 5, 2016.