‘Won’t allow merger of Cidco, NMMC nodes in Panvel city’

PANVEL: Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur has declared t hat the Congress and the Panvel Municipal Council (PMC) will oppose any move to merge the nodes that have been developed by City and Industrial Development Cor poration (Cidco) with those by the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation ( NMMC). Thakur has also threatened to launch an agitation if the government proposal goes ahead.

Thakur’s announcement in Wednesday, came in the heels of the meeting at Mantralaya on Tuesday, where the Urban development ministry discussed handing over of Kharghar, Taloja and Kalamboli areas to NMMC.

The meeting at Mantralaya was called by principal secretary Manukumar Srivastava was attended by Konkan divisional commissioner, Cidco managing director, NMMC municipal commissioner, Raigad and Thane collectors and PMC chief executive officer.

ON TUESDAY, THE URBAN DEVELOPMENT MINISTRY DISCUSSED HANDING OVER OF KHARGHAR, TALOJA AND KALAMBOLI AREAS TO NMMC

“Cidco proposed an immediate handing over of New Panvel and Khanda Colony area, following which the meeting was called. We are opposed to any such move and I have written to the state about it. The region’s residents, too, have voiced their opposition,” said Thakur.

“These nodes are in Raigad district and fall under Panvel Taluka. If they are given to NMMC which is under Thane district, the residents will face problems. For land court cases, they will have to go to Thane, and for revenue issues, to Alibaug,” he said.

On the likely opposition from villagers, Thakur said, “There could be an assurance that the taxes will remain the same for the next 20 years or that they will be increased gradually.”

He said that the PMC should pass a resolution soon and seek the jurisdiction over the nodes from the state government.