PM Modi flagged off metro trains marking the inauguration of completed sections of Pune Metro today. He also handed over more than 1280 houses constructed under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana by Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and more than 2650 PMAY houses constructed by Pune Municipal Corporation to the beneficiaries. He laid the foundation stone for around 1190 PMAY houses to be constructed by PCMC and over 6400 houses constructed by Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority. The Prime Minister also inaugurated a Waste to Energy Plant under PCMC developed at a cost of about Rs 300 crores.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that August is the month of celebrations and revolutions. Highlighting the contributions of Pune city in the freedom struggle, the Prime Minister said that the city has given numerous freedom fighters to the country including Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He also informed that today is the birth anniversary of the great Anna Bhau Sathe who was a social reformer and was inspired by the ideals of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Even today, the Prime Minister informed that many students and academicians conduct research on his literary works, and his work and ideals are a source of inspiration for everyone. “Pune is a vibrant city that gives momentum to the economy of the country and fulfills the dreams of the youth of the entire country. Today’s projects with about 15 thousand crore will further strengthen this identity”, the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister underlined the seriousness of the government about the quality of life of the urban middle class. Recalling the start of the Metro work five years ago, the Prime Minister said that the 24 km Metro network has already started functioning in this period.
Shri Modi emphasized the need to improve public transport infrastructure to improve the quality of life of people living in every city. Therefore, the Prime Minister said, the metro network is being expanded, new flyovers are being constructed, and emphasis is being laid on reducing the number of traffic lights. The Prime Minister informed that before 2014, the country had only 250 km of metro network and most of the metro lines were limited to Delhi whereas today, the metro network has gone beyond 800 km and work is already underway for 1000 km of new metro lines in the country. Before 2014, the Prime Minister informed, the metro network was limited to only 5 cities in India whereas today, the metro is functional in 20 cities including Pune, Nagpur and Mumbai where the network is being expanded. “The metro is becoming a new lifeline for the cities in modern India”, the Prime Minister remarked as he stressed the need for metro expansion to tackle climate change in a city like Pune.
PM Modi emphasized the role of cleanliness in improving the quality of urban life. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, he said, is not limited to toilet access but waste management is also a big focus area. Mountains of garbage are being removed in mission mode. He explained the benefits of the Waste to Energy Plant under Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
“The industrial development of Maharashtra has paved the way for the industrial development of India since independence”, the Prime Minister remarked. Highlighting the need to further industrial development in the state, the Prime Minister highlighted the unprecedented investments being made by the government in Maharashtra. He gave examples of the development of new expressways, railway routes and airports in the state. For the expansion of Railways, the Prime Minister informed that there has been a twelve-fold rise in expenditure when compared to before 2014. Various cities of Maharashtra are also connected to the economic hubs of neighboring states. The Prime Minister gave examples of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail which will benefit both Maharashtra and Gujarat, the Delhi-Mumbai Economic Corridor which will connect Maharashtra with Madhya Pradesh and other states in North India, National Dedicated Freight Corridor which will transform the rail connectivity between Maharashtra and North India, and transmission line network to connect the state with Chhattisgarh, Telangana, other neighboring states which will benefit the industries, oil and gas pipelines, Aurangabad Industrial City, Navi Mumbai Airport, and Shendra Bidkin Industrial Park. He said that such projects have the capacity to enthuse new energy into the economy of Maharashtra.
