 "PM Modi to virtually inaugurate Pune Swargate-Katraj metro line on Sept 29")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the Metro line between Shivajinagar District Court and Swargate in Pune on September 29, as announced by local MP and Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol. During this event, the Prime Minister will also lay the foundation for the Swargate-Katraj Metro stretch.
PM Modi’s planned visit to Pune was previously cancelled due to heavy rainfall, which disrupted arrangements for the inauguration of the Metro corridor and the launch of various development projects worth Rs 22,600 crore, ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections.
Mohol confirmed the virtual inauguration on social media platform X, stating, “PM Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the Shivajinagar District Court-Swargate stretch of Pune Metro and laying the foundation stone of the Swargate-Katraj stretch virtually on 29th September.”
Weather disrupts PM’s visit
Preparations for the PM’s in-person visit were made at the SP College ground, but the adverse weather conditions led to the cancellation. In the wake of the cancellation, NCP (SP) working president Supriya Sule suggested that Modi proceed with the online inauguration, given that he has inaugurated the same project multiple times before. In contrast, Pune NCP (SP) chief Prashant Jagtap adopted a more confrontational stance, warning that if the government did not open the Civil Court-Swargate Metro line to the public, MVA leaders would do so themselves.
Purple metro line connecting Swargate to Katraj
Length: 5.464 km
Type: Underground
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Number of stations: Three
Stations: Market Yard (Gultekdi), Saibaba Nagar, and Katraj.
Background on Pune Metro
Pune Metro is a Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) currently under construction in Pune, Maharashtra, overseen by the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).
The Phase 1 project spans 31.254 km and includes two metro lines with 29 stations. The detailed project report was prepared and submitted by the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation in July 2009 and has undergone multiple revisions since then.
Although the state government approved the project in 2012, it faced delays due to red tape and opposition from local activists regarding its mostly elevated nature. The final approval from the Union Government’s Cabinet was granted on December 7, 2016. On 6 March 2022, PM Modi inaugurated commercial operations for two sections of Phase 1.
The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority is also developing a third line connecting Hinjewadi to the Civil Court under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, executed by a consortium including Tata Group and Siemens.