MP & Punjab spar over basmati GI tag
■ Shivraj slams Capt. for trying to prevent GI tag for MP rice
Bhopal: MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday slammed his Punjab counterpart Capt. Amrinder Singh for mounting pressure on the Centre to deny geographical indication tagging of basmati of MP, describing it unfair.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday slammed his Punjab counterpart Capt. Amrinder Singh for mounting pressure on the Centre to deny geographical indication (GI) tagging of basmati of MP, describing it unfair.
Mr Chouhan said there was no basis for opposition to GI tagging of basmati of MP by Punjab chief minister since the state has ‘written recorded history since 1908’ of production of the variant of the aromatic rice in 13 districts. “Govt of Madhya Pradesh strongly condemns the letter written by the Punjab chief minister to PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) India regarding allotment of GI tagging of basmati rice of 13 districts of the state”, a tweet by chief minister’s office (CMO) here read.
Mr Chouhan’s office here ran a series of tweets justifying the state’s demand for GI tagging of basmati rice grown in 13 districts of MP in the wake of Mr Singh shooting a letter to the PMO on Wednesday demanding not to allow MP’s basmati to get GI tag. In his letter, Mr Singh argued that GI tagging to MP’s basmati would not only be detrimental to the interest of Punjab and other states who have already been awarded GI tag for their variant of the aromatic rice, but may also have an adverse impact on the export of basmati by India.
The Punjab chief minister said India exports basmati to the tune of Rs 33,000 crore every year and any dilution in registration of Indian basmati may give advantage to Pakistan (which also produces basmati) in the international market in terms of characteristic and quality parameters.
The MP government however dismissed the concern expressed by Mr Singh, saying that GI tagging to the state’s basmati would “provide stability to basmati prices in the international markets and boost our export”.
“Madhya Pradesh has recorded history since 1908 of basmati production in 13 districts. Records of supplying seeds to farmers in MP in 1944 is recorded in the records of the Scindia state”, a tweet by CMO here said.