Accusing the BJP of taking credit of the Pune Metro Rail Project, city Mayor Prashant Jagtap today said NCP would get the project inaugurated at the hands of party chief Sharad Pawar on Friday, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to lay its foundation stone.
"Only a few days are left for the inauguration of the project, but the BJP is still not showing us the invitation card and they are not taking municipal corporations in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad into confidence, which are stakeholders in the project. Therefore, we today brought our invitation cards and decided that ground-breaking ceremony will be done at the hands of Sharad Pawar saheb on December 23," Jagtap, who belongs to NCP, said.
"The metro project was passed keeping the civic elections in mind, but we welcomed the decision. We also welcome that Modiji would inaugurate the project. However, it was Pawar saheb, who pushed the Pune Metro Rail Project during the UPA government and because of his efforts the proposal was expedited," he said.
Stating that the BJP was taking the credit of the project, the Mayor said Pune district Guardian Minister Girish Bapat today said that there would be two daises at the event and said that they oppose this.
"Therefore, we have decided that we would inaugurate the project at the hands of Pawar saheb and the invitation would be sent to Pawar Saheb, Chief Minister's office, Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray, MNS chief Raj Thackeray, Congress State president Ashok Chavan and Republican Party of India (A) chief Ramdas Athawale to attend the function," he said.
In Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), leaders of Congress, NCP and MNS, had passed a resolution few days back, demanding that the work on the Pune Metro Rail, the first phase of which was approved by the Union Cabinet, should be inaugurated by NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.
Bapat, while talking to reporters earlier in the day, said as per the protocol, all the dignitaries will be invited. "Besides the main dais (where the PM and CM will sit), there will be a separate dais, where MPs, MLA, officials from Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will be seated," said Bapat.
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