PM Modi inaugurates underground section of Pune Metro, lays foundation stone of projects worth 11,200 cr. in Maharashtra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses gathering through video conferencing while laying foundation and inaugurating various projects in Maharashtra | Photo credit: PTI

Ahead of the Assembly elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated Sunday (September 29, 2024) and laid the foundation stone of various projects worth 11,200 crores in Maharashtra. His scheduled visit to Pune on September 26 was canceled due to heavy rains in the city.

Mr. Modi inaugurated the new underground section of the Pune Metro from District Court to Swargate, marking the completion of Phase 1 of the Pune Metro project. The underground stretch, stretching between the district court and Swargate, was constructed at a cost of `1,810 crore.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, along with other leaders, participated in the event in Pune.

Additionally, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Swargate-Katraj extension of Pune Metro Phase 1. This southern extension, 5.46 km long and entirely underground, will include three stations: Market Yard, Padmavati and Katraj. The project is estimated to cost 2,955 crores.

Mr. Modi also inaugurated the Solapur airport, which has been revamped to accommodate around 4.1 lakh passengers annually. Recently, CPN(SP) leader Supriya Sule slammed the Prime Minister for inaugurating the same project five times.

Furthermore, he laid the foundation stone of the memorial of the first Krantijyoti Savitribai Phules Girls' School, located in Bhidewada, Pune, commemorating the legacy of India's first female teacher and her contributions to women's education.

The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the Bidkin Industrial Area, a transformative project covering a vast area of ​​7,855 acres under the National Industrial Corridor Development Program of the Government of India, located 20 km south of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra. The project, developed as part of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor, had immense potential as a vibrant economic hub in the Marathwada region. The central government had approved this project with an overall cost of over 6,400 crores for development in three phases.

Addressing the gathering virtually from New Delhi, the Prime Minister recalled the cancellation of his event in Pune due to bad weather two days ago and credited technology for today's virtual event, saying that this land of inspiration of great personalities is witnessing a new chapter in the development of Maharashtra. .

He also spoke about the laying of the foundation stone of the memorial of the first Krantijyoti Savitribai Phules Girls' School in Bhidewada and expressed satisfaction over the rapid progress towards increased ease of living in Pune.

Devotees of Bhagwan Vitthal also received a special gift today, the Prime Minister said, referring to the inauguration of Solapur airport to establish direct air connectivity with the city.

It is sad that the capacity of the terminal has increased and new services and facilities have been created for passengers after the completion of the modernization works of the existing airport, thereby increasing the convenience of Bhagwan Vitthal devotees.

Mr. Modi further added that the airport would also give a boost to businesses, industries and tourism and congratulated the people of Maharashtra for today's development projects.

Today, Maharashtra needs big goals with new resolutions, the Prime Minister remarked, emphasizing the need to make cities like Pune a center of progress and urban development.

Speaking about Pune's progress and the pressure of growing population, the Prime Minister said steps need to be taken now to increase development and capacity. To achieve this goal, he said the current state government is working on an approach to modernize the city's public transport and boost connectivity as the city grows.

Mr. Modi also recalled that discussions on Pune Metro began in 2008, but the foundation stone was laid in 2016 when quick decisions were taken by his government. As a result, the Prime Minister said, the Pune Metro is now picking up speed and developing.

He recalled the inauguration of Ruby Hall Clinic Metro service at Ramwadi in March this year and praised the work done for the expansion of Pune Metro from 2016 to date due to more decision making rapid and removal of obstacles. He pointed out that the present government has prepared a modern metro network in Pune, while the previous government could barely construct a single metro pillar in 8 years.

The senior BJP leader underlined the importance of development-oriented governance to ensure Maharashtra's progress, saying any disruption in this continuity would result in significant losses to the state. He highlighted various stalled projects, from metro rail initiatives to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and critical irrigation projects for farmers, which were delayed before the advent of the dual-engine government.

Concluding the speech, the Prime Minister reaffirmed his belief in the central role of Maharashtra in steering the nation towards development and said, “Together we will achieve this goal of Viskit Maharashtra, Viksit Bharat,” he said. -he added.