Pune Metro Line 3 opens; Fadnavis says Pune region will be a mobility hub by 2030

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has expressed confidence that the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR) will become a key mobility hub of the country by 2030. A network of modern transport facilities, including metro, electric buses, an inner ring road, an outer ring road, tunnels and a new airport, is being laid across Pimpri-Chinchwad and the PMR area. According to Fadnavis, these facilities will bring about the change.

Hinjewadi and its surrounding area are counted among the country's big IT hubs. Thousands of employees come to work there every day. Because of traffic jams, they sometimes have to spend one to two hours stuck on the road. The Chief Minister said the start of the metro will bring big relief to IT sector employees, especially young men and women.

The bhoomipujan of the project was performed in 2018 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Fadnavis expressed happiness that the project is now being inaugurated by him.

After the policy of building metros through public-private partnership (PPP) came in the country, Shivajinagar-Hinjewadi became the first project of its kind. It was built on a DBOT basis by Tata Projects and Siemens. The project could be completed because of support from the Centre and the state government, the viability gap fund, and land acquisition carried out by the Maharashtra government. The Chief Minister also said women's contribution has been important from construction to operation, and that this "pink powered" metro is a sign of women's participation.

Fadnavis said metro routes of about 120 km have been completed in Pune city and work is under way on some routes. Maharashtra has benefited the most from the expansion of metro in the country. Metro is running or being built in the areas of 12 municipal corporations in the state. According to him, the metro is not just a means of travel but a system that accelerates economic development. The metro builds a web of investment, jobs and the economic activity around it.

The Centre has provided a fund of Rs 5,000 crore to develop the Pune Metropolitan Region as a major urban growth centre. The plan is to build modern transport in Pune and the PMR area with this fund. Pune Metro is being developed as a green metro and will generate 30 per cent of the power it needs itself. A network of metro, electric buses, inner and outer ring roads, CMTR, underground routes and tunnels is taking shape in the Pune area. This will make Pune an important centre not only for IT and manufacturing but also for frontier technology. The Chief Minister said he was confident that Pune's contribution to speeding up the country's economy would be large.

Fadnavis said Prime Minister Modi has stressed poverty alleviation and job opportunities for young people along with infrastructure development. The common citizen and the last section of society have been kept at the centre of the development process. The Chief Minister hoped that the Centre's support and guidance for Maharashtra's development would continue.