BENGALURU: To spread awareness on the special aspects of Karnataka, the state postal department plans to bring out special covers on all the 42 Geographical Indication (GI) agricultural and handicrafts products here. They will be displayed at all airports in the state to popularise them.
Appemidi Mango, Coorg Arabica Coffee, Devanahalli Pomello, Gulbarga Tur Dal, Byadagi Chillli, Sirsi Supari , Bangalore Rose Onion, Mysore Sandal Soap and Dharwad Peda are among the iconic products that will be popularised.
A senior postal official told TNIE, “We plan to release 20 such covers before August 31 while another 16 would be released by September end. The department has already released six of them.”
Special covers have already been released on these six unique items by the department: Molakalmuru sarees, Shankarapura Malligae, Mysore Malligae, Ilkal sarees, Udupi Mattu Gulla Brinjal and traditional paintings of Mysuru
The GI is a form of intellectual property right that offers legal protection to a product in an area. India enacted the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 and it came into force from September 2003. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry gives its consent for it, the official explained.
While ten of them are likely to be released at the Bengaluru GPO, the rest of the products would be released at the locations they are known.
Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka Circle, Sharda Sampath will be releasing them in Bengaluru. She said, “These covers are being released under the Atma Nirbhar Scheme of the Centre. The whole idea is to popularise them among public which will in turn boost their sale and help those growing these products.”
Anywhere between 2,000 to 3,000 postal covers of each product is being planned and their sale would give a small profit to the postal department. “The cost of releasing them is being sponsored by those manufacturing them or leaders in the district from where it originates,” the CPMG said.
The products will be available for sale at the four philatelic bureaus at Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Mysuru and Belagavi and on the e-post office on this link: https://www.epostoffice.gov.in