Gem and Jewellery Federation to question License Raj

Pune, Dec 20 (UNI) The Gem and Jewellery Federation (GJF), the National Body of the jewellery trade in the country, today met in the city to address the imperative issue of mandatory hallmarking to be implemented in the metros from January 1, 2008.

The trade has expressed dismay over the governments disregard for ground realties in these issues and in unison is protesting against the implementation of the Hallmarking act.

Addressing mediapersons here, GJF Director F C Ranka said, ''The Gem and Jewellery Federation has brought about quality standards in the industry including the recently introduced Trust Mark and has encouraged Hallmarking for jewellery. Any voicing against hallmarking by the trade has been only misrepresented to the public.'' ''We would like the public to understand that the draconian structuring of the act due to lack of understanding of ground realities by the government is the industry's worry and that is what is being protested. The trade fully supports GJF to be the platform to communicate to the government, trade and the consumers and we are happy to represent the industry in this smoldering issue,'' Mr Ranka explained.

The GJF is conducting meetings with jewellers across the country who are supporting the Federation in this issue. The meetings have been called for to discuss measures against the steps taken to implement licensing in the industry, said Mr Ranka.

The Federation suspects that the introduction of penal consequences will initiate and encourage corruption and Inspector Raj. The federation is also of the opinion that the legislation ought not to be enforced unless adequate infrastructure facilities are made available by the Central government to facilitate the implementation of the mandated obligation.

The act calls for even jewellery below 5 grams to be hallmarked even when the jewellery will not have the required space to put the hallmark, complained Mr Ranka.

The onus of lower purity of pre hallmarked jewellery is enforced on the jeweller when it should be on the Hallmarking centres. This needs to be clearly stated in the amended Act, added Mr Ranka.

UNI