No new projects for Pune in state budget; focus on ongoing work

Pune: Despite Pune being the home district of finance minister Ajit Pawar, expectations of new projects for the city in the Maharashtra budget for 2025-26 remained unfulfilled. Instead, the budgetary provisions focused only on previously approved or ongoing projects.

While Pawar mentioned Pune in his speech, all the projects he referred to had already been sanctioned or were in progress. Among the key infrastructure projects he highlighted were two major elevated roads.

“The construction of the elevated road from Pune to Shirur, spanning 54km at an estimated cost of ₹7,515 crore, is already in progress,” he said.

Pawar also mentioned another key project. “A four-lane elevated road is proposed for the Talegaon to Chakan stretch of the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur Road, covering 25 km. The project is expected to cost ₹6,499 crore.”

Though Pawar outlined the costs, he did not announce fresh allocations from the state budget, as Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari had already confirmed that these elevated roads would be funded by the central government.

Metro rail expansion

Speaking about the metro network in Maharashtra, Pawar said that metro corridors covering 143.57km are under implementation across Mumbai, Nagpur, and Pune, with nearly 10 lakh passengers using the services daily.

“In Pune, a total of 23.2km of metro routes will be inaugurated next year,” he said.

Pawar also revealed that a proposal worth ₹9,897 crore has been sent to the central government for two new metro lines under Pune Metro Phase 2. These include the Khadakwasla-Swargate-Hadapsar-Kharadi and the Nal Stop-Warje-Manikbagh corridors.

Renovation of Balewadi stadium

Pawar announced that renovation work for the sports facilities at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi will be undertaken.

“A minimum of 1% of the district annual plan fund will be reserved for the maintenance and repair of sports complexes,” he said.

₹50 crore additional funding for Shivshrushti

The finance minister announced additional funding for the grand Shivshrushti project in Ambegaon, which aims to give an immersive experience of the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to visitor using modern technology.

“Two phases of the project have been completed, and the state government will provide an additional ₹50 crore to expedite the remaining work,” he said.

Additionally, he mentioned that work is in progress on the grand memorial for Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj at Mouje Tulapur near Pune, along with the development of his samadhi at Vadhu Budruk.

While Pawar’s budget speech covered key projects for Pune, the absence of new initiatives or fresh allocations for the city has left many expecting more from the state government

‘Disappointing and hollow’

Shirur Lok Sabha MP and Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Amol Kolhe termed the budget disappointing and hollow.

“The budget presented by the grand alliance government today turned out to be nothing more than an empty speech to kill time, with no substantial provisions for Maharashtra, a revenue deficit of ₹45,000 crore, and no new schemes,” Kolhe said.

Minister of state for urban development Madhuri Misal, however, said the state budget paves the way for achieving a developed Maharashtra.

“Notably, it includes significant allocations for infrastructure development in Pune, such as new metro routes, green energy projects, sewage treatment, and substantial funding for agriculture and rural sectors in Pune district. Additionally, the budget provides strong financial backing for the creation of various infrastructure projects across the state and for implementing new initiatives to preserve Maharashtra’s cultural heritage.

With support from the central government, assistance from international financial institutions, and better coordination of schemes, the budget not only ensures the implementation of previous plans but also increases financial provisions for new initiatives across the state by 33%. This substantial increase reflects the state’s strong financial position,” she said.