Shivajinagar-Hinjawadi Metro To Open On Schedule; Pune University Flyover To Fully Open Without Official Government Inauguration -- Here’s All You Need To Know

Pune/Nagpur: In a major decision announced by officials on Thursday, over 220 developmental projects have been approved in Pune District by a committee of the Maharashtra State Government.  Seeing the growth across the districts, a whopping Rs 32,523 crores have been sanctioned by the government. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the officials that road development planning should be done as a priority.

The fifth meeting of the Pune Metropolitan Planning Committee was held under the chairmanship of Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis in the Cabinet Hall of the Vidhan Bhavan. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Dada Patil, and MLAs Tanaji Sawant, Sunil Shelke, Siddharth Shirole, Shankar Mandekar, and others were present.

In the meeting, CM Fadnavis said that while preparing the Structure Plan for the Pune Metropolitan Region within the stipulated time limit, future population growth and urbanisation should be considered. The process of preparing the plan should be completed swiftly. The Chief Minister also instructed that while planning development, the entire area should be developed by a single authority instead of assigning development responsibilities of specific areas to various authorities.

CM Fadnavis further said that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) should undertake the development planning of the 23 new villages in the PMC, which were included in 2021. He also suggested verifying the preparation of the Development Plan (DP) for the Pune Growth Hub through the Maharashtra Institution for Transformation (MITRA).

‘Timely Complete TP, Open University Flyover Without Inauguration’

CM Fadnavis instructed that the work on the Maan-Mhalunge Township Planning (TP) Scheme in Pune city should be completed quickly. Work is underway on 15 integrated TP schemes in the city, and a time limit should be set for them. Since the timely completion of schemes benefits everyone, the works of these schemes should be finished without any delay.

CM Fadnavis then said that the flyover near Pune University should be opened for public service without waiting for a formal inauguration ceremony. He also directed that an event should be organised with all members of the Pune Metropolitan Committee, where their opinions should be gathered, and a forward-looking ‘Comprehensive Mobility Plan’ for Pune city should be prepared.

Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary (Finance) OP Gupta, and Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development) Asim Kumar Gupta, along with members of the Pune Metropolitan Planning Committee, attended the meeting. Pune Divisional Commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, and District Collector Jitendra Dudi participated via video conferencing. PMRDA Commissioner Yogesh Mhase gave a presentation during the meeting.

Approval for Rs 1209.08 Crore Sewerage Works

Revised administrative approval has been granted for Rs 1209.08 crore worth of sewerage schemes across 27 villages in the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) area. These works are expected to benefit a population of 39.42 lakh. CM Fadnavis instructed PMRDA to prepare a Fire Prevention Measures Plan for Pune city, using the funds accumulated through the Fire Service Fee. He also said that the remaining Rs 300 crore collected under the Fire Service Fee should be utilised for fire safety measures across the metropolitan region.

The CM stressed the need to rejuvenate rivers flowing through the Pune Metropolitan area and ensure that polluted water does not enter river bodies. He directed that work on service roads along NH-48 and NH-548DD be initiated urgently to prevent accidents at the Navale Bridge stretch. Other safety alternatives should also be explored. Fadnavis further instructed officials to verify the feasibility of land development before returning an amenity plot under PMRDA’s possession to the Pune Zilla Parishad.

He also emphasised completing the Maan-Hinjawadi–Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 within the stipulated timeframe so that it becomes operational for passenger services as planned. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority comprises 697 revenue villages across 9 talukas, covering a total area of 5,383 sq km.

The Following Updates Were Provided In The Meeting:

- 127 works are underway for 589 km of roads in the Pune Metropolitan area.

- Projects include an 83 km-long circular road within the city.

- Road works connecting development centres, industrial areas, and the airport within Pune city are ongoing.

- Three bridge and flyover projects are underway.

- Three housing projects are underway.

- Four water supply schemes are underway, and the Wagholi water supply scheme has been completed.

The Following Works Will Be Started in the Pune Metropolitan Region

- Three projects for the rejuvenation of the Pawana, Indrayani, Mula, and Mutha rivers.

- 17 projects to solve traffic congestion at key junctions in the district.

- A proposed 20 km Yerawada–Katraj underground tunnel is currently under feasibility review and is estimated to cost Rs 7,500 crore.

- 10 tourism development centre projects, one skywalk project, and five multi-modal hub projects will start soon.