Chennai: Jewellery shops in the city downed their shutters between 9 and 11.30 am today, in a token protest against the alleged arbitrary implementation of the new hallmarking process which requires jewellers to obtain Hallmarking Unique ID (HUID), a 6-digit code, for every piece of hallmarked gold article they sell.
The Chennai Jewellers Association has called for the strike to strengthen the nationwide protest to be observed on the same day as announced by the National Task Force on Hallmarking which comprises members of the gems and jewellery associations across the country.
At a press conference, Uday Vummidi, president, Chennai Jewellers Association, said, “Gold hallmarking, a purity certification of the precious metal, was voluntary in India. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), made gold hallmarking mandatory from 16 June, 2021 in about 256 districts across the country that have Assaying and Hallmarking Centres. However, due to capacity inadequacy 16 to 18 crore pieces are lying idle without hallmarking. There is an estimated three-year backlog.”