34 guards deployed at airport site

CIDCO MOVE The decision comes in the wake of security threats that the contractor faced during inspection work recently

In an unprecedented move, the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has deployed 34 armed security guards for the safety of the contractors, their personnel and equipment involved in the pre-development work of the proposed Navi Mumbai international airport.

The decision comes in the wake of the security threats at the airport site that the contractor faced during inspection work recently. The deployment will help secure the equipment worth crores of rupees at the work site and also the lives of the personnel.

A Rs600 crore work of levelling of land undertaken by GVK company that modernised Mumbai international airport, is set to begin at the site.

The company is also one of the bidders for the airport project and also has the right to first refusal in the airport project. It had faced problems from some locals when its personnel went to the area to collect land samples.

Senior public relations officer of CIDCO, Mohan Ninawe, said: “There had been opposition by some people when there was some levelling work started in the airport project area. This is a matter of worry and hence we do not want to take any risk.”

He added, “We have appointed a private agency to provide armed security guards to deter anyone from any violent action or threat to the personnel.”

Ninawe said, “The airport project is very important and prestigious. The pre-development work is of crores of rupees and hence we are taking all precautions and steps to ensure that the project progresses smoothly.”

In May, Cidco opened bids for pre-development works worth Rs3,000 crore for the project.

CIDCO had said its project is on track and the first phase will be completed in December 2019.

The pre-development works have to be completed before the actual construction of the airport can be taken up, CIDCO joint managing director V Radha had said while announcing the bids.

There are four packages of height land development, increase in height and levelling of land in the core airport area, which are of Rs1600 crore.

There is a Rs100 crore river diversion project and Rs1500 crore shifting of EHVT lines of Tata Power.

CIDCO has acquired 672 ha of land from 10 villages for the construction of the proposed Navi Mumbai international airport.

It is developing Pushpaknagar into a smart city where the promised 22.5% developed land is being given to the projectaffected people in lieu of the land acquired from them.

Pushpaknagar is at present undergoing land filling work. The work is expected to be completed in the six months.

A bogus ‘baba’ has been exposed in Taloja by the Navi Mumbai crime branch for selling ganja in the city.

Navi Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagarale had recently instructed his officers to crack down on drugs in the city. This was followed by a special drive by the anti-narcotics squad of the crime branch to unearth such instances.

This special drive has led the police to a person known as ‘baba’ in Padghe village of Taloja. He was later arrested.

According to deputy municipal commissioner Dilip Sawant, “The man would dress up in saffron clothes and lived a simple life. This ensured that no villager suspected him of being anything else.”

Sawant said, “Senior police inspector of the property and anti-narcotics cell, Vinod Chavan received a tip-off earlier this week, that the so called Baba dealt in drugs.”

He added, “The team then took into custody, the self-proclaimed ‘baba’, Kashinath Bhoir, 70, from Padghe village.”

Sawant said, “A search of his house led us to 8.385 kg of ganja worth Rs1 lakh. Interrogation of the accused revealed that he planned to sell the consignment which he had stored in his house.”

A case has been registered against the accused under NDPS Act 1985.

Police sources said that the accused had cultivated the opium in the field close to his temple. The revelation has brought to fore the possibility of more such instances in the area.

Sawant said, “We are investigating who all are involved in the racket with him.”

Chavan had last month seized 7 kgs of ganja from a man near Tondre village in Taloja MIDC area.