PM to virtually inaugurate Pune Metro after visit was cancelled due to heavy rains
Pune: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate ‘Pune Metro phase-I’. Chief minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar will physically attend the event. Mr. Modi was to inaugurate Rs 22,600 crore project on Thursday, but it was cancelled due to heavy rains. Thereafter, the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) protested at the site and carried out ‘unofficial inauguration’ on Friday.
The event will be held at the Ganesh Kala Krida Manch at Swargate from 11:30am onwards. Besides inaugurating the corridor, PM Modi will also lay the foundation of the Swargate-Katraj Metro stretch.
The Pune Traffic Police have announced temporary traffic and parking restrictions to ensure a smooth and safe experience for citizens and dignitaries attending the inauguration of the Shivajinagar to Swargate Metro Line. Traffic restrictions will be in place from 7:00 AM onwards.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Amol Zende said, “We have made necessary arrangements to ensure a seamless experience for citizens and dignitaries. We request cooperation from the public to follow traffic guidelines.”
Earlier on Friday, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) staged a protest outside the District Court station. The protesters also symbolically inaugurated the metro service, raising slogans against the Prime Minister for the delay.
Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar said, “The metro stretch should have started on the same day. The PM could have done a virtual inauguration. What was wrong with that? Five times in five years, PM Modi visited Pune just for a small stretch. The public is paying huge taxes and he should reply to them.”