TBM Staff - Mumbai Informing that no proposal has been received to develop, upgrade and maintain amenities at Kondapalli Fort under the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project, Union Minister of Tourism G Kishan Reddy said that the fort, however, has been included in the list of potential monuments to be promoted for adoption along with other State protected monuments of Andhra Pradesh.
Replying to a question by TDP Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas (Nani) in Lok Sabha on Monday on the inclusion of Kondapalli Fort in the list of Adopt A Heritage Monument Scheme, Kishan Reddy said that under the ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project, 29 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been awarded to 15 Monument Mitras for 27 sites and two Technological interventions across India.
“In AP, an MoU has been signed with Dalmia Bharat Limited to develop, upgrade and maintain amenities at Gandikota Fort under the adopt a heritage project,’’ he said.
Currently, all the protected monuments adopted under ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project, including Gandikota Fort, have been transferred to Ministry of Culture or Archaeological Survey of India for further processing, he said. Under the project, potential monument mitras can put forth their interest wherein they propose adoption of any heritage site for implementing basic amenities, advanced amenities and technological interventions.
Kishan Reddy said that the State protected monuments in Andhra Pradesh are also included in the list of potential monuments to be promoted for adoption under ‘Adopt a Heritage’ project.
“Till date, no proposal has been received to develop, upgrade and maintain amenities at Kondapalli Fort under the project. However, Kondapalli Fort is included in the list of potential monuments to be promoted for adoption along with other State protected monuments of Andhra Pradesh,’’ the Minister said.
Replying to another question raised by YSRC MP Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu on setting up of Central Institute of Hotel Management (CIHM) in Andhra Pradesh, the tourism minister said that the ministry has set up a central Institute in hospitality at Tirupati in the name of Indian Culinary Institute (ICI) after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, which offers the same hospitality courses as offered at CIHM at graduate-level under National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology (NCHMCT) of Ministry of Tourism (MoT).
“There is also one State Institute of Hotel Management (SIHM) at Tirupati set up with funding from tourism ministry, which offers hospitality courses under NCHMCT. The Indian Institute of Tourism & Travel Management (IITTM), an autonomous body under minister of tourism, has a college at Nellore for Tourism Education and Training,’’ Kishan Reddy said. Further, another SIHM at Kakinada has been sanctioned by Ministry of Tourism with funding support to Andhra Pradesh for conducting hospitality courses under NCHMCT. (Source: New Indian Express)
