Bhopal : Chief Minister Shri Kamal Nath has said that Madhya Pradesh will be made leading state in the country in tourism and investment sector. Shri Kamal Nath was inaugurating the Royal Cuisines Food Festival based on the best delicacies of royal cuisine organized for the first time in state at Minto Hall today. Tribal Welfare Minister Shri Omkar Singh Markam and MP Shri Nakul Nath was present in the programme.
The Chief Minister said that through this festival the state government aims at promoting economic activities along with tourism in state. He said that today the need is to make changes in the profile of Madhya Pradesh. He said that today there are abundant possibilities in the state but due to lack of expected development, we have been unable to utilize the available resources for the benefit of the citizens and the state. Shri Kamal Nath said that tourism is such a sector which will not only result in prosperity but will also create large-scale employment opportunities. He said that tourism has significant contribution in the prosperity of Rajasthan. Comparatively, Madhya Pradesh is no less but we have not been able to do proper branding. The Chief Minister said that Madhya Pradesh is Tiger state. We have national parks like Kanha, Bandhavgarh etc., but in the tourism map only Ranthambore and Jim Corbett are mentioned. Shri Kamal Nath said that we will have to do branding of out tourist spots if we want to reap benefits for the state.
Terming the Royal Cuisines Food Festival as a laudable initiative, the Chief Minister said that we should organize such events not only in the state but also in big cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Amritsar. This will pave way for a separate identity for Madhya Pradesh. The Chief Minister said that cooking is not just an art but is also a craft. The royal houses of our state have these traditions and by using and launching them, we can take tourism of our state to new heights.
Tourism Minister Shri Surendra Singh Baghel said that Chief Minister Shri Kamal Nath’s intention is that there are investments in the tourism sector in the state and we should create a national identity of our tourism wealth. That is why the Department of Tourism has taken an innovative initiative of the Royal Cuisines Food Festival. He said that through this unique event, we have made an effort to popularize the dishes prevalent in the royal houses among the common people. Through this, we will also underline the tourism activities of the state at the national level. He said that the Chief Minister is promoting tourist spots of the state where tourist visits are ensured. In view of this, efforts are being made to present Orchha, Bundelkhand and Mandav Mahotsav with grandeur.
Celebrity chef Shri Harpal Singh who came from Punjab, said that he shares an old bond with Madhya Pradesh. He has worked as a chef in a vintage hotel here where Shri Richard Holkar and Sushri Shalini Holkar of Holkar Gharana used to come to eat. He told that Sushri Shalini Holkar had presented him with a cooking book, which is like Bible for him. He told that there are grand and magnificent cooking traditions in the royal houses of Madhya Pradesh. The need is that these should be underlined at the national level. He said that the Royal Cuisines Food Festival is a good initiative which will help Madhya Pradesh be identified at international level.
Senior journalist Shri Avnish Jain said that Madhya Pradesh is full of tourism capacities and possibilities. After Kerala, Madhya Pradesh is the most enriched state in terms of natural beauty. He lauded the objectives of organizing the Food Festival.
Tourism Secretary Shri Faiz Ahmed Kidwai gave information about the objective and outline of the Royal Cuisines Food Festival. Representatives of Bhopal, Sailana, Rewa, Narsinghgarh, Jhabua, Kurwai, Holkar, Joura and Gadha Rajgharanas of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Pushparaj Singh, Shri Ravi Ranawat, Shri Ranvir Singh, Shri Nawab Zafar Ali Khan and Shri Bharat Singh took part in the festival.
Renowned Chef Shri Richard Graham, Shri Vasudev Ratnani, Guiness world record holder Smt. Lata Tandon of Madhya Pradesh and bloggers Shri Shailendra S. Jaggi, Shri Ravikant Reddy, Sushri Mariam H. Reshi and Sushri Darina Ellen were present in the programme.
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