Pimpri: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Gorkhe has been appointed chairman of the Lokshahir Anna Bhau Sathe Development Corporation. The post has a rank of minister of state.

Gorkhe’s appointment to the Lokshahir Anna Bhau Vikas Mahamandal was made by the State government in March 5, a few days before the declaration of the parliamentary polls.

However, the notification of his appointment was 
issued only on Thursday, June 6, after the end of the Model Code of Conduct for polls.

This was the first government notification issued after the conclusion of the Model Code of Conduct for the Lok Sabha polls.

Gorkhe is a member of the State executive committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

NCP’s legislator Ramesh Kadam was earlier chairman of this development board, which has a budget of Rs 300 crore. Kadam is presently imprisoned on charges of misappropriation of funds.

Gorkhe is the second individual from Pimpri Chinchwad appointed to rank of the minister of state. Lawyer Sachin Patwardhan was appointed chairman of the State public accounts committee soon after the BJP-Shiv Sena government came to power five years back.