Pune, Nov 3 Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the operationalisation of Pune Metro Line 3, connecting Shivajinagar and IT hub of Hinjawadi, would save the daily travel time for thousands of commuters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 23-km Shivajinagar (District Court) and Hinjawadi (Maan) metro corridor with 23 stations via video conference.
Speaking at the ceremony, Fadnavis said the new metro line would provide relief to commuters who travel on the Hinjawadi-Shivajinagar route, and improve their ease of living.
“This is a very important development for Pune, particularly for its IT hub (Hinjawadi). It will save commuters’ time and effort and provide relief from the heavy traffic congestion,” he said.
It was the first metro corridor approved under the Centre’s 2017 Public-Private Partnership (PPP) policy on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis. The project was awarded to a joint venture of Tata Realty and Siemens.
“Despite several challenges, the metro line was completed and is now operational,” the chief minister said.
Highlighting women’s participation in the project, Fadnavis said that nearly 100 train operators on the new ‘Pink Line’ are women, while women accounted for around 50 per cent of the overall metro staff, including train pilots.
“Even during the construction phase, women held key engineering responsibilities. In that sense, this metro project is inspired by women’s empowerment,” he said.
The foundation stones for another four metro corridors under Phase II were laid on Tuesday. Once completed, these corridors will expand connectivity across the city and take the total metro network in Pune to around 120 km, extending up to the proposed Purandar airport, Fadnavis noted.
Referring to the broader infrastructure development plans for Pune and the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR), he said the Mahayuti government had prepared an integrated development roadmap covering the Outer Ring Road, Inner Ring Road, High-Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR), tunnels, and essential civic infrastructure.
The plan also includes upgradation of drinking water supply and drainage facilities across the PMR, he said.
Fadnavis further said the Centre would provide Rs 5,000 crore for the PMR Growth Centre, which would be used for development projects.
(PTI News)
