India’s traditional culinary skills to be promoted: Vice President
Venkaiah Naidu, Vice-President of India, said that India’s rich cultural, historical, religious and natural heritage provides a huge potential for development of tourism and creation of employment opportunities.
He was inaugurating the Indian Culinary Institute at Tirupati, near the Renigunta airport on Monday, 25th September 2018. While talking about our culinary traditions of the country, he said no foreign culinary skills could beat India’s traditional and ancient practices as it was a combination of traditions and skills. He reiterated the need of branding of indigenous varieties to the world.
“Encouraging the younger generation to take up traditional Indian culinary studies, which had earned global respect and admiration, has to be given importance,” said Naidu.
“Indian cuisine reflects the culture and tradition of the country which includes varied landscapes, linguistic diversity, colourful festivals, and multi-ethnicity. I consider Chefs as not only the practitioners of their art, but also as the protectors and flag-bearers of our great culinary heritage and legacy”, added the Vice President.
The Culinary Institute at Tirupati is set up by the Ministry of Tourism with its campus spread in 14 acres of land and the project being completed at a total cost of INR 97.92 crore. The ICI Tirupati campus comprises of an academic block with state-of-art kitchens, labs and classrooms; an administrative block; commercial restaurant; culinary museum, executive guesthouse; VIP cottages; hostels for boys and girls and staff residences
Naidu also launched the Kakinada and Nellore coastal tourism circuits under the Swadeshi Darshan programme. The project envisages the development of the Hope Island, the Coringa wildlife sanctuary, Pasarlapudi, Yanam and Kotipalle in East Godavari district, while in Nellore district, Mypadu, Ramatheertham and Iskapalle beaches and the Pulicat lake would be developed. The project would also cover the Nelapattu bird sanctuary and the Ubbalamadugu waterfalls (Tada falls) in Chittoor district. Another project would focus on Buddhist structures in the State.
Speaking at the event, Union Minister of State for Tourism, K.J. Alphons, said that the tourism industry is one among the major contributors to employment generation in the country and the Culinary Institute will help in spreading the skills to more youth thereby further generating employment. The Minister also added that the Government will also provide financial assistance for roping in international faculty for the institute if necessary, so that ICI could be one among the premier culinary institutes.
Other dignitaries attended the event included Bhuma Akhila Priya, Minister for Tourism, Government of Andhra Pradesh and Rashmi Verma, Union Tourism Secretary in Tirupati.