UP govt to set up state-level board

LUCKNOW The Uttar Pradesh government will set up a statelevel board under the chief secretary with a view to resolving problems of producers of GI (geographical indication) products in a holistic manner, besides promoting export of all such local products through branding and marketing.

“A decision in this regard was taken at a meeting chaired by chief secretary Rajendra Kumar Tiwari here on Monday. The main function of the proposed board would be to chalk out strategy for development of GI products and issue necessary guidelines for the execution of the same,” said a government spokesman.

Geographical Indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possesses qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. Among such products include handicrafts, wooden toys, stone carving, textile, and handloom products. “The board will also develop a mechanism to identify new potential products for GI registration, their documentation, setting up producers’ groups, branding, marketing and quality control of current GI products,” spokesman added.

The proposed board will have a maximum of three representatives on a rotation basis from fields such as board of departmental promotion of industries and internal trade, MSME and export promotion, agriculture, horticulture and food processing, handicraft, textile, directorate of industries, export promotion bureau, foreign trade, GI Registry (Chennai), textile committee (Mumbai) and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).

The Uttar Pradesh export promotion bureau will have the mandate to execute the plans and policies to be made by the board.