One year after GI tag for ‘Banglar Rosogolla,’ sweet makers waiting for logo

West Bengal government celebrated ‘Rosogolla Dibas’ (rosogolla day) on Wednesday to mark the first anniversary of GI (geographical indication) tag for the state’s signature sweet but those who make it commercially are waiting for the right to use the logo registered for the GI tag.

The logo, interestingly, has been conceptualised by chief minister Mamata Banerjee.

“We will be able to use the logo only after its proprietor allows us. There has been some delay on part of the proprietor, West Bengal State Food Processing & Horticulture Development Corporation Limited, in formalising the process of grant of license to the applicants,” said Dhiman Das, director of K C Das Private Ltd, the sweet manufacturer credited as the inventor of rosogolla.

Das is the great great grandson of Nobin Chandra Das, widely acknowledged as the inventor of the spongy, spherical sweet dipped in sugar syrup in the 1860s.

“The GI tag for Banglar Rosogolla created a hype over the popular sweet and resulted in rise in sale. However, the actual benefit of the GI tag will be felt when rosogolla is sold with the official logo on the container,” said Das.

“The government has told us that the logo will be licensed soon,” said Sudip Mullick, one of the proprietors of Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick which is one of the most famous chains in Kolkata. The business started in 1885.

Abdur Rezzak Mollah, food processing and horticulture minister, said he would be able to tell the reason for delay in granting usage permission to sweet makers only after inquiring with departmental officers.

“I have no idea right now,” Mollah said on Wednesday evening.

Sweetmakers said that chief minister Mamata Banerjee herself conceptualised the logo.

At present there is possibly no sweetmeat shop in the state that does not sell rasogolla. Some prominent sellers also export it in cans.

Last year, Bengal and neighbouring Odisha both vied for rasogolla’s GI registration. Finally, after Bengal’s plea was granted, Odisha government applied for ‘Odishara Rasagola’ (Rasagola of Odisha) GI tag in February this year.

On Wednesday, the government celebrated Rasogolla Dibas with discussions on rasogolla at the Mishti (sweet) Hub set up by the state in the northeastern fringes of the city.

Numerous stalls set up by renowned confectioners sold various types of rasogolla throughout the day.

Interestingly, director duo of Nandita Roy and Shiboprasad Mukherjee has made a feature film on the history of the sweet and named it ‘Rosogolla.’ The official trailer was also released on Wednesday.

Celebrating the occasion, Mamata Banerjee tweeted, “Banglar Rosogolla got the GI tag last year on this day. We are observing this day as #RosogollaDibas at #MistiHub in#Kolkata to mark this sweet occasion.”

The battle with Odisha, however, is yet to end. Bhubaneshwar-based Ramesh Chandra Sahoo has filed a petition earlier this year, seeking removal of the tag given to Bengal. He argued that rosogolla prepared in Bengal is nothing different from those made in Odisha or other parts of the country. The Bengal government submitted its objection to Sahoo’s petition.