Trichy:

Artisans from Thanjavur, who have certification from the Geographical Indications (GI) registry of the government of India, are only eligible to sell the ‘Thanjavur Art Plate’ with the name tag, said president of the Intellectual Property Attorneys Association, P Sanjay Gandhi.
Speaking to reporters in Thanjavur, he said that 21 more artisans have been given the certificate of registration of authorised users by GI recently. “Sixty artisans from Thanjavur had already been given the certificate in January 2015,” he said adding that with 21 new artisans, the total number of artisans who have been given authorised user certificates with exclusive logo has gone up to 81.

Gandhi, who has been striving to revive the art and artisans – all belonging to a particular community and a native of Thanjavur, said that Thanjavur Art Plate got the GI tag in 2007. A new logo for the art plate has been added in the authorised user certificate this year. The artisans who got the certificate can use the logo in their product to indicate the genuineness of the art plate, he added.

Union commerce minister Suresh Prabhu has directed his officials to do the needful to set up stalls of GI products at all airports in India. This would be very helpful for the artisans to get more orders, he added.

Gandhi has also been working to get the GI tag for ‘Thanjavur Thalayatti Bommai’, Naachiyarkoil brass lamps and Swamimalai bronze icons. He is helping the artisans apply for GI certificate free of cost.

Sanjay told TOI that the art plate is made of pure silver. If the government provides the metals at a subsidised rate to these artisans, it would be helpful for them as more number of youths would come forward to take up art as their profession, he added.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Trichy News / TNN / June 26th, 2018