The Orissa High Court on Wednesday issued notices to the Chennai-based Intellectual Property office, the West Bengal State Council of Science and Technology, the Odisha Government and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration to file their respective counters in response to a PIl on the controversial Geographical Indication (GI) tag given to Odisha’s famous sweet Rasagola.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Vineet Saran and Justice BR Sarangi issued the notices to the respondents asking them to file their counters within four weeks. The petitioners Punya Utkal Trust and one Santosh Kumar Sahoo of Khordha district have approached the High Court seeking its direction to the authorities to withdraw the GI tag of Rasagola given to West Bengal.
The Assistant Registrar of Trademarks and GI of the Chennai-based Intellectual Property office last year had “wrongfully” concluded that the syrupy sweet Rasagola had its geographical origin in West Bengal, the petition has said, alleging that the Odisha Government for its “laidback” attitude has not taken appropriate steps to apply and obtain GI registration of the State’s Rasagola.
The petition claims that the sweet made of cheese has its origin in Odisha and has its historic association with the Jagannath culture of the State. “Rasagola is offered as a Prasad to the Trinity of Puri everyday for over 400 years now. Even lord Jagannath takes the advantage of this delicious sweet to pacify a fuming Goddess lakshmi during Neeladri Bije every year.