Prashant Thakur

Prashant Thakur (Marathi: प्रशांत ठाकूर) is a politician in Panvel contesting the 2014 Maharashtra Elections as a candidate from the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is Member of the Legislative Assembly^[1] of the 188 Panvel Constituency (Vidhan Sabha) for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also holding the responsibility as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President of Raigad district.^[2]

Biography and political life

Prashant Thakur was born in Panvel on 5 August 1974, as a son to Ramsheth Changu Thakur and Shakuntala Thakur. Ramsheth Thakur is Ex - Member of Parliament (MP) for the Indian National Congress. Prashant Thakur started studying civil engineering but didn't continue after second year (bachelor's degree in engineering takes at least 4 years in India). He can speak Marathi (native Maharashtra), Hindi and English.

Prashant Thakur became President of the Raigad District Youth Congress Committee in 2005. He then became the President of the Panvel Municipal Corporation in 2006 and stayed in position until 2009. At present he is Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President of Raigad District, Navi Mumbai.

He is married to Varsha Thakur with 2 children, Amogh Thakur and Apurv Thakur.

Social activities

Prashant Thakur is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Janardan Bhagat Shikshan Prasarak Sanstha in Panvel. He is also the Managing Director at Shahu Institute of Information Technology Pvt. Ltd. His hobbies include reading books, travelling and sports.

Prashant Thakur’s inclination towards sports has been instrumental in the promotion of many sporting events across Raigad district. He is currently the President of the Raigad Baseball Association, the Raigad District Hockey Association and the Badminton Organization of Raigad District.

Prashant Thakur also encourages education and cultural activities. He believes both these, along with sports, are handy in people development, which leads to progress. He is currently the Managing Director of the Shahu Institute of Information Technology and the Director of Malhar Network - the core entity which organnizes the popular Malhar Mahotsav at CKT College, Panvel.^[3] Apart from being President of Akhil Bharatiya Natya Parishad, Panvel.

Major Activities Undertaken

Consistent efforts and follow ups have been made by MLA Prashant Thakur for the following development projects, most of which have already been completed:

Elevated bridge at Panvel City has been constructed and is in use. This has considerably reduced traffic congestion in the city.
Construction of 100-bedded Sub-District Hospital at Panvel
Construction of Tahsil offices in Panvel Taluka and establishment of Public Garden through CIDCO to Society at Panvel
Handing over speedboat to Disaster Management Cell to provide immediate help to citizens when needed
Concretization of road from Sant Jagnade Chowk to the Rotary Circle
Construction of roads from Shantivan to Ritghar, Ghotgaon to Siddhi Karawale, State Highway – 103 to Wagachi Wadi and to Dhodani.

Apart from this, numerous interior roads, community halls and drainages have been constructed. Crematoriums repaired and water pipelines have also been installed.

Prashant Thakur has also been the first to protest against a toll plaza being constructed at the Kharghar junction on the Sion-Panvel highway. He believes that the Rs. 1,220 crore spent on highway widening and concretization should be spent by City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO).^[4] He has ensured this matter was taken up in the Vidhan Sabha and staged a protest with Congress workers on 11 July 2014 - the day on which the State Government was to declare a decision on whether the toll plaza would be constructed. This protest has got him a meeting with Maharashtra's Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. Prashant Thakur threates to resign from his position as MLA if a decision in the residents' favor is not passed by 12 July 2014.^[5]

On 12 July, Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan agreed to MLA Prashant Thakur's points against the Kharghar and granted exemption to vehicles with registration MH46 and MH06. He also stated that he wanted to formulate a committee to check the feasibility of eliminating toll nakas from the state of Maharashtra. He said he would like to include Prashant Thakur as a member in that committee. The State government then continued to drag its feet on the issue. As a result, Prashant Thakur resigned from his position as MLA claiming that the government was not working for the benefit of the people, saying that he would not contest the 2014 Maharashtra Elections and would stay a loyal supporter of the Congress always. On 17 September, it was declared that he and his team would be joining the BJP.^[6]

Prashant Thakur protested against the negligience of CIDCO against New Panvel. Under his guidance, the Panvel Congress party workers held a fast-unto-death outside CIDCO's New Panvel office to protest against negligience of CIDCO in water distribution, electricity supply and garbage disposal. The CIDCO officials gave in and have conducted surveys in New Panvel, Khanda Colony and adjecant areas to take stock of work to be done.

Prashant Thakur recently launched an Android app which helps people connect with him and share grievances, be updated with latest news of Panvel and his work and more.

Efforts for Solving Society’s Problems

Demands have been made by Prashant Thakur since 2009 for:

Permanent rehabilitation of slum dwellers in Panvel City
Construction of 4-lane road from Mumbai to Goa (already underway)
Commencement of Gas Agency at Khanda Colony
Effective interaction with the Board of Directors at J.N.P.T. to resolve the 12.5% land issue pending since more than 20 years.

Prashant Thakur has also worked towards:

Organization of Job and Career fairs (over 5000 participants benefited)
Distribution of hearing aids and tricycles to the needy and poor
Distribution of School books and uniforms to under privileged children
Organization of the Panvel Marathon from 2011 till date
Provided financial aid of over Rs. 15 Lacs, for needy and poor children and poor patients for medical operations.
Being instrumental in approval gained for building hospitals with 300 beds each being constructed in Panvel
Free notebook distribution for poor and needy children in almost all areas of Kalamboli, Kharghar and Panvel.

Awards won

Prashant Thakur has won many awards including the “Best Youth Award” by Nehru Yuva Kendra,^[7] a Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. He was also selected in the ‘Talent Hunt Programme’ launched by Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi. He is one of the members out of the nine for the selection of President, Maharashtra Pradesh Youth Congress Committee. He has campaigned with Rahul Gandhi during many election campaign rallies^[8]

Controversies

Prashant Thakur left the PWP party to join Congress party and now left congress to join BJP party for political gains. Former Uran MLA Vivek Patil warned Prashant thakur to file PIL against him. He said "Thakur had adpted unfair means to acquire land for sports complex in Ulwe".^[9]

References

External links

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