Public representatives to meet CM over Pune’s infrastructure issues

Minister of state for civil aviation Murlidhar Mohol and Maharashtra cabinet minister Chandrakant Patil announced their decision to meet chief minister Devendra Fadnavis soon to address Pune’s key infrastructure challenges.

On Saturday, Mohol, Patil, and other city MLAs held a meeting with municipal commissioner Rajendra Bhosale and heads of various departments to review ongoing projects and pending works. They later interacted with the media.

Patil said, “There are certain issues that need resolution at the state level. Mohol and I are compiling a list of five to six such matters, and we will soon meet the chief minister and urge him to look into Pune’s concerns.”

On vacant posts of two additional municipal commissioners and six ward officers, Patil said, “The vacancies need to be addressed at the state level. We will request the chief minister to appoint two more IAS officers as additional municipal commissioners for Pune to expedite the city’s development works.”

Mohol highlighted the increasing water demand in Pune due to its growing population and the merging of surrounding areas into Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). “Currently, we draw 18 to 19 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water from the Khadakwasla reservoir. We are planning to secure an additional five TMC of water from Mulshi Dam. The chief minister supports the plan, and we will discuss it with him during the meeting,” he said.

Both leaders emphasised the long-pending Kharadi-to-Shivane road project stalled due to land acquisition issues. “The state government’s assistance is crucial for resolving these hurdles,” they said. Regarding the High Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR), Patil said, “This is the chief minister’s dream project, and we are committed to giving it the necessary push to ensure progress.”

“We have asked the municipal commissioner to provide a list of areas where the state government intervention is needed. We will consolidate this information and bring it to the chief minister’s attention soon,” he said.

Mohol said, “With no elected representatives currently in local bodies, a gap exists between citizens and the administration. By organising such meetings, we aim to bridge the gap and fulfil citizens’ expectations.”

Alongside the MLAs, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office-bearers were also present at the meeting with the civic chief.