Pune infrastructure snippets

The Maharashtra government on Thursday approved the Pune metro rail project and said it would make a budgetary provision for the 14.9-km second corridor from Vanaz on Paud road to Ramwadi on Pune-Ahmednagar road. The proposal would be forwarded to the central government for a final approval within 15 days. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan made this announcement in Mumbai at a meeting with elected representatives from Pune. “The chief minister said the state government fully supports the project. The government will make a provision for the project in the budget to be presented in March,” said NCP leader Nilesh Nikam. Congress leader Aba Bagul said the metro project will cost Rs 2,281 crore. The Pune Municipal Corporation will contribute 10 per cent towards the project, get 40 per cent from the state and the Centre and source the remaining amount from private players. “The MLAs and party leaders also discussed the option of an underground metro, but that would prove to be a more expensive affair,” said Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe. A high-powered committee of the state government will look into the project, which will be implemented through a special purpose vehicle (SPV). The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had recommended its metro rail model for Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. It had suggested two rail corridors — one from the PCMC building to Swargate and the other from Vanaz to Ramwadi. The PMC will build the Vanaz-Ramwadi corridor, which falls in its jurisdiction, and not wait for the PCMC’s consent for the other corridor. The PCMC had recently sought a detailed project report from the DMRC for the metro which falls in its jurisdiction. Meanwhile, the chief minister has asked the PMC to present details of the ring road so that the government could facilitate the process of its completion. “Chavan said the ring road should be 100 metres wide and the option of developing town planning schemes in some parts along the road should be tapped,” Bagul said. The chief minister also asked the PMC authorities to ensure that the garbage generated in the city is processed within the city limits itself. The the meeting elected representatives between the chief from minister the city and failed to reach a conclusion on the bio-diversity park (BDP) as political parties remained divided on the issue. While the NCP, BJP and a section of the Congress wanted the BDP scrapped, the Shiv Sena and some Congress and NCP leaders insisted that the project should be executed and no construction should be allowed in those areas. “The Congress strongly supported the BDP. The CM has assured that the state would take an appropriate decision,” Congress leader Aba Bagul said. NCP leader Nilesh Nikam said many leaders demanded construction permission ranging from 4 to 10 per cent in the BDP area. “The Shiv Sena is firm on the BDP. No construction should be allowed in the BDP area,” said Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe. The draft development plan for the 23 fringe villages approved by the PMC in 2005 recommended that 1,600 hectares of land in these villages be reserved for BDPs. This includes 978 hectares of private land that the PMC will have to acquire by paying compensation.