Union Minister for Commerce and Industry and Civil Aviation Shri Suresh Prabhu has said that the main motive behind the Global Kokan Mahotsav should be the welfare of the common man of Konkan which includes farmers, fishermen, youth, women and people from backward classes.
He was speaking on the occasion of Global Kokan Festival, organized by Kokan Bhumi Pratishthan, in Mumbai today.
The Festival has created a history as it has been identified as the largest festival held in Mumbai with more than 4 lakh visitors every year. The festival highlights the coastal stretch of Maharashtra which has had a special charm of its own. The food of the land and the beauty of the coastline are what have made the Kokan region a preferred destination.
To give a glimpse of the picturesque Kokan region, the Global Kokan Festival at NESCO, Goregaon is running to packed house. The festival provides a global platform for natural beauty, tourism, industries, agriculture, horticulture, arts, culture and cuisine from Kokan.
Produce from Konkan has been given the exposure of international markets. The King of Fruits, the Alphonso mango in particular have received international recognition as a mango from Konkan.
The Government is also planning to open a tourism project worth 550 crore rupees in Konkan, said the Minister. Marine product export development agency has also been formed for the welfare of fishermen.
Shri Prabhu elaborated on district development scheme by the Central Govt. In this scheme, two districts, namely Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri, have been shortlisted for holistic development and steps are being taken to create more employment opportunities for the youth, said the Minister.
There is a positive work happening to improve the overall development of the region, from infrastructure, to employment and grooming the youths with the technology and other progressive amenities which will help Konkan region develop in the right way in times to come.
The Global Konkan Festival :
The GKF (Global Konkan Festival) has created a history as the Event has been identified as the largest Festival held with more than 5 lakh tourists, Businesses and Konkan lovers visiting the event every year. Various Departments from the Central and State Governments such as Agriculture, Fisheries, Ports, Non-conventional energy sources and others participate at this Festival. Eminent personalities from politics, industries, literature, arts, films and others make it a point to be at the Festival every year.
Every year the Festival is organized with increasing grandeur and Konkan is being showcased at a global scale in a real manner. Various departments of Central and State Governments. All the industrial groups from Maharashtra, Tourism, Real Estate, Infrastructure, industrialists also make it a point not to miss the opportunity of exposure at this large scale. The many attractions that bring people to this festival can be summarized as Konkan Food Festival, Konkan Folk Arts Festival, Konkan Art Festival by artists, Exclusive 3D Photo exhibition depicting excellent Tourist destinations at Kokan.
