Himanta govt receives GI tag certificate for Assamese Gamosa

GUWAHATI, APRIL 14

(IANS): Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma received the Geographical Indication Registration Certificate for Asomiya Gamosa. At a ceremony conducted at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati on Thursday, CM

Sarma was presented with the certificate by the Controller General of Patent, Designs and Trademarks and Registrar of GI Registry, Dr. Unnat P. Pandit.

The GI Registration is for eight Gamosa, namely Uka or Xadharan Gamosa, Phulam Gamosa, Bihuwan, Tiani or Pani Gamosa, Anakata Gamosa, Telos Gamosa, Dora Boron or Jor Gamosa, and Gossain Gamosa. After the GI Reg- istration, others are not allowed to make or market the product. The registration is a legal acknowledgment of the goods for a certain geographic area or territory.

Millions of weavers in the state will be protected due to the GI Tag.

Chief Minister Sarma said, “I received the GI Tag for our pride, the Asomiya

Gamosa. It is a moment of honour and pride for the people of Assam.” operational. Rahaman said he visited Maitri Setu and other facilities to see what is happening here. He was accompanied by Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Agartala, Arif Mohammad.

“Thanks to this accolade, Assam will be able to legally recognise and maintain the quality and individuality of our pride, Asomiya Gamosa. It will guarantee the defence of our weavers’ interests,” he continued.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina remotely inaugurated Matri Setu which connects Tripura’s Sabroom with neighbouring country’s Ramgarh on March 9, 2021.

L Simon Raomai said that as poppy cultivation was being practiced primarily in the Christian dominated hills of the state, the church has an important role to play in the eradication of illegal practice. The Christian leader, talking to reporters on the sideline of the event, said that the government’s war on drugs campaign needed people’s support and the most effective way to reach out the campaign was that the hill villages and churches have a bigger role to play.

To eradicate the illegal poppy cultivation, there was the need for working from the grassroots level and local church leaders have to sensitize the villagers in this regard, he said.

Leaders of CSOs, students’ bodies and church leaders should work at the grassroots level for the better future of Manipur, he said.

They (church leaders, CSOs and students’ bodies) should spread the resolution to be adopted by today’s consultation across the state, particularly in the remote hill areas.

AMCO will take a big role to eradicate poppy cultivation and make the youths stay away from drugs, he said. The event discussed the drug menace in the state in-depth in two technical sessions which six experts in their respective fields talked as resource persons In the first session moderated by Dr Thathang Vaiphei, Dr Satkai Chongloi, principal of Restoration Theological College, Imphal talked on “A Christian perspective on drugs and poppy plantation,” Dr RK Lenin Singh of Psychiatric department of RIMS, Imphal deliberated on “Impact of drugs on social and mental health,” while Dr Jamkhogen Lhungdim, associate professor of Central Agricultural University, Imphal spoke on “Impact of poppy plantation and alternative crops/plants.”

In the second technical session, Babloo Loitongbam, executive director of Human Rights Alert presented a paper on “Drug trade/poppy plantation: socio-economic and livelihood perspective”, Dr James Starr, founder director of Vision 2020 Asia deliberated on “Christian perspective on drugs and its impact on the church,” while Birg Neil John, SM, deputy GOC of 57 Mountain Division spoke on “Impact of drugs on youth and society. The second session was moderated by Dr SK Luangamba.

Meghalaya reviews Covid preparedness

SHILLONG, APR 14

(AGENCIES): In view of the rising number of Covid cases across the country, the government of Meghalaya has requested additional lots Covid-19 vaccines from the Central Government, reports Sentinel Assam . The Northeast Indian state of Meghalaya was one of the worst affected during the Covid pandemic last year. Mainly because of the limited number of medical facilities in the state, and because of the lack of proper