Pune Metro inauguration: Why no invite for Prithviraj Chavan, asks former MLA Mohan Joshi

On Mar 4, 2022

Pune : NpNews24 Online – Pune Metro | The Congress party has played a big role in bringing the metro project to Pune and this should be remembered by BJP leaders, said state Congress vice president and former MLA Mohan Joshi. “Former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan had regularly followed up on the project and it is surprising that Chavan has not been invited for the inauguration of the Pune Metro project. This shows the narrow mindedness of the BJP,” he said.

The BJP is claiming the credit for various projects being implemented in the city but Puneites know that the projects were started by the Congress. The inauguration of the Pune Metro is happening on Sunday. The metro project was brought to Pune by the Congress. The metro project was approved in the Standing Committee of the PMC in 2001. The Chairperson of the panel was Sangita Devkar. The proposal was made on instructions of then MP Suresh Kalmadi. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation undertook the task of preparing the DPR of Pune Metro project on August 15, 2008. The state government approved the project in June 2012 and the Congress-led state government submitted a proposal to the Centre in the same month. In 2013, the then Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar held a meeting with MP Suresh Kalmadi and asked the Centre to approve the Pune Metro project, Joshi said.

In the Central government’s budget in 2013, a provision of Rs 9 crore 99 lakh was made for the Pune Metro project. The project received approval of the Centre on December 7, 2016. This shows that the Congress had made a lot of efforts to bring the metro to Pune. Apart from this, the sanctions from various departments for the project were taken by former CM Prithviraj Chavan. However, the project was delayed due to former MP Anil Shirole and the project received approval in 2016 instead of 2014.

The inauguration of the project is being done in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Former CM Devendra Fadnavis has been invited for the programme but why Prithviraj Chavan has not been invited? As an MLA, I had also demanded the metro in Pune in the legislature, he said.

BJP’s move to give a political colour to Modi’s visit to Pune is deplorable. The move not to invite Prithviraj Chavan for the programme shows the narrow mindedness of the BJP. The party has hijacked some leaders and is now trying to hijack the credit of some projects, he said.

Join our Telegram, facebook page and Twitter for every update