Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election to be held later this year, the Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government has approved two new metro rail routes in Pune, aimed at improving the city’s transport infrastructure. The decision to construct the Khadakwasla-Swargate-Hadapsar-Kharadi and Nalstop-Dahanukar Colony-Warje-Manikbaug metro lines was taken during a cabinet meeting on Monday. Together, the new routes will cover 31.63 kilometres and will be built by Maha Metro at a cost of Rs 9,897 crore, featuring 28 stations along the way.
Union Minister and Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol emphasised the significance of these new lines for Pune’s overall development and pledged to seek final permissions from the central government. Baramati NCP MP Supriya Sule also expressed gratitude, noting that she had requested the Khadakwasla-Swargate metro line in 2018.
The announcement follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s virtual inauguration of the Pune metro line connecting Shivajinagar District Court and Swargate on September 29. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation for the Swargate-Katraj Metro extension. This new stretch is expected to ease commuting challenges for residents of Pimpri-Chinchwad and nearby areas.
While the metro expansion is welcomed by many, some have raised concerns about the multiple inaugurations of the same project. This marks the sixth time segments of Pune’s metro have been launched, leading to questions about the rationale behind such repeated ceremonies.