AP Tourism Hubs to Feature LIDCAP Leather Stalls: Durgesh

Vijayawada: AP Tourism minister Kandula Durgesh, along with union Rural Development minister of state Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, participated in the LIDCAP Foundation Day celebrations at the Venkateswara Vignana Mandir in Guntur on Saturday.

Durgesh announced that LIDCAP stalls will be set up at various tourism hubs across Andhra Pradesh to promote leather products and ensure livelihood opportunities for artisans.

The union minister lauded the efforts of LIDCAP chairman Pilli Manikya Rao for empowering youth with skill development in leather products. He presented certificates to 300 trainees who participated in the skills’ development programme organised by the LIDCAP Corporation.

Dr. Chandra Sekhar wanted the trainees to blend innovation with culture towards developing new products. He said the Madiga community embodies the strength of India’s working classes, noting that their natural intelligence and hard work will be the backbone of their progress.

“Quality must take precedence over quantity, and innovation should meet consumer needs to sustain demand for local products,” the union minister observed, asking the trained youth to have clarity with regard to their goals, continually upgrade their skills, and rely on character and competence, rather than patronage.

Dr Chandra Sekhar maintained that India’s traditional knowledge and craftsmanship hold immense potential in competing globally when combined with technology and skill training.

In this regard, minister Durgesh requested both central and state governments to extend financial and institutional support for strengthening the leather industry. He asserted that LIDCAP has the potential to help enable AP’s leather products to compete with multinational companies. He thanked Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for reopening avenues for the community’s economic advancement.

Further, the Tourism minister inaugurated the CBN Raksha Centres established under the LIDCAP initiatives, highlighting their role in skill-based empowerment.

Those who participated in the programme included MLAs B. Ramanjaneyulu, Galla Madhavi and Nazir Ahmed, Guntur district collector Tameem Ansariya, AP State Technology Services Corporation’s Mannava Mohan Krishna, TD leader Varla Ramaiah and several officials.