New Delhi, Jan 26: The Global Konkan Festival is organized every year to promote and spread the natural beauty, tourism places, industry, folk art, culture of Konkan. India is the centre of world economy and Mumbai is the centre of India's economy and Konkan region is part of the growing metropolis of Mumbai, will stage the mega 10th Global Konkan Festival, which is dedicated to the development of Konkan.
Agriculture, tourism and fisheries are the three major industries of Konkan development. 60% to 70% of youth in Konkan get employment from these three industries. The mega event will host a series of panel discussions and seminars under “Kokan Vikas Conference” which is aimed to benefit the people and industries in the Konkan region. Global Konkan Festival will be organized for the first time in Thane district on a grand scale. The festival and grand exhibition is organized at Sant Savalaram Mhatre Maharaj Sports Complex Dombivli East from 25th to 30th January. Member of Parliament Dr. Shrikant Shinde is the Chairperson of this festival.
If Konkan is to be truly developed sustainably, Tourism, Agriculture and Fisheries should be given maximum attention. “Konkan Vikas Conference” has been organized on these topics and the series of conferences will hold discussion sessions on important topics on tourism, fisheries, sustainable agriculture and horticulture, infrastructure and industry, co-operatives and community projects in Konkan development. At the same time, Global Konkan Festival will have nearly 300 stalls and more than 1000 entrepreneurs from all over Konkan participating in this grand exhibition.
Sanjay Yadavrao, Chief Organizer, Global Konkan Festival said, “Agriculture, Tourism and Fisheries are the three main industries of Konkan development, besides mango, cashew, agriculture, fish industry, fruit processing, and food processing industry. This year, in these conferences, we will decide the next year's road map and action plan for Konkan development. This Konkan Vision Document will be prepared with the help of farmers, entrepreneurs and experts who are actually working in Konkan and will hand it over to the government. The fisheries industry economy is around 15000 crores, Hapus mango, cashew nut, coconut, betel nuts and agriculture together are thousands of crores economy, tourism industry is almost 5000 crores economy. We envision a future where our youth thrive locally, instead of migrating to cities like Mumbai or Pune and can harness the potential of our evolving landscape with projects in agriculture, fisheries and tourism.”
Many innovative activities such as house boat tourism, white water rafting, nature tourism, salt and fresh water fish farming, bamboo cultivation, spice farming which are being implemented in the villages of Konkan thus providing youth with employment opportunities in the region. Information about the government schemes like of Industries Department, Fisheries Department, Rural Development Department, Tourism Department, Annasaheb Patil Corporation and other government departments to establish industries in the rural areas of Konkan will be shared.
Konkan is going to change rapidly in the next 15-20 years, with newly developed green field highways like Shivdi Nhava Sea Link, Panvel Airport, Alibag Virar Freeway, Uran to Vengurla Coastal Highway, Samriddhi Highway, Dighi Industrial Corridor, JNPT and Dighi most important ports in the country. Due to this, in the future the youth of Konkan will be able to stay in their village in Konkan and work in the third Mumbai in the newly developing Greater Mumbai. There will be extensive discussions in these conferences in terms of staying in Konkan while working in Mumbai, setting up tourism, agriculture and other industries, developing their lands in Konkan instead of selling them. In these conferences, information can be obtained from the major departments like MMRDA, CIDCO, MSRDC, Maharashtra Maritime Board, JNPT, Water Resources Department etc. about what changes are going to happen in Konkan in the next year.
This year's Global Konkan has been organized on a grand scale under the guidance of Hon'ble Chief Minister of the state Eknathrao Shinde. On the occasion of Global Konkan, a constructive campaign will be kick started in the form of collecting the basic issues of Konkan and giving a definite plan to the government, and follow up consistently to solve some important issues. Shri. Prasad Lad(MLA) and Zilla Pramukh Gopal Landge are organaizers for this event.
