SPEEDING UP CIDCO INFRA WORK PRIORITY: NEW CHAIRMAN

NAVI MUMBAI: Newly appointed City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) chairman Prashant Thakur on Tuesday said speeding up infrastructure projects and boosting the confidence of those who will be hit by it will remain his top priorities.

Thakur took charge of the Cidco Bhavan in CBD Belapur, amid a rousing welcome by BJP leaders, including Raigad guardian minister Ravindra Chavan, MLA Manda Mhatre, former MP Ramseth Thakur, JNPT Trustee Mahesh Baldi, Navi Mumbai BJP president Ramchandra Gharat, among others.

Thakur said, “I have to thank chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for choosing me, a son of a project-affected family to head this corporation. Over the years, I have repeatedly raised the issues of PAPS living in Panvel and Uran Taluka and also parts of Thane district. Now I have the opportunity to help resolve them.”

“Redevelopment of dilapidated buildings is another problem. We have planned several time-bound projects,” he said.

Refuting charges of conflict of interest, Thakur, whose family owns a company, Thakur Infra Projects, that has got contracts worth several hundred crores from Cidco said, “I resigned from the company in July 2006. Since then I have had no legal connection or involvement with it and dedicated myself to social and political work. Everyone here knows about it. It is only some journalists who are not aware of the ground reality who keep raising the issue.”