The Pune Metro and Modi

PUNE: From laying the foundation stone to inaugurating the metro and its various extensions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been integral to the development of the Pune Metro. So much so that even his upcoming visit to the city on Thursday, September 26 is to inaugurate the metro line between Shivajinagar and Swargate and will be only his sixth visit to the city in connection with the metro.

Maha-Metro public relations officer (PRO) Hemant Sonawane said, “The PM carried out the groundbreaking of the metro project and came several times thereafter to inaugurate phases of the metro. Now, the first phase is complete as per the original plan and extension work on the two corridors namely Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to Nigdi (Bhakti Shakti) and Swargate to Katraj is in progress.”

Pune member of Parliament (MP) and minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol said, “The PM will inaugurate the Civil Court to Swargate underground metro corridor. At the same time, the groundbreaking of the Swargate to Katraj metro corridor will be carried out. We promised… and we delivered… The PM carried out the groundbreaking of this project and has come himself for its inauguration.”

The Pune Metro is being executed by two agencies: the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation (Maha-Metro) which is handling two lines; and the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) which is managing the third line in collaboration with the Tata Group.

Modi has personally attended five of the Maha-Metro’s programmes, including groundbreaking ceremonies and inaugurations; and has once virtually inaugurated a PMRDA metro line from Kolkata. His first visit was to lay the foundation stone at Agricultural College Ground on December 24, 2016. He returned in December 2018 for the groundbreaking of the Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro line at Balewadi Sports Stadium. On March 6, 2022, Modi inaugurated the Garware to Vanaz metro line and addressed a public rally at MIT College Ground in Kothrud. His most recent visit was on August 1, 2023, when he inaugurated sections of the metro from Phugewadi to Civil Court and Garware College to Ruby Hall Clinic at the Shivajinagar Police Ground. Earlier on March 6 this year, Modi virtually inaugurated the stretch from Ruby Hall Clinic to Ramwadi while laying the foundation stone for the PCMC to Nigdi stretch from Kolkata. On September 26, 2024, Modi will inaugurate the underground metro stretch from Civil Court to Swargate after which he will address citizens at the S P College Ground.

The Maha-Metro is executing the Vanaz to Ramwadi and PCMC to Swargate corridors, which together span 23.1 km. With the inauguration of the underground stretch on Thursday, the first phase of this project will be complete. The Maha-Metro is also working on extending the route from PCMC to Bhakti Shakti and Swargate to Katraj.

The Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro line, covering 23.4 km, is being developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) with the assistance of the Tata Group.