CM bats for Hinjewadi Shivajingar Metro line in Pune; urges Centre to give priority

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has urged the Centre to approve the third Metro rail line between Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar to be constructed by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).

Fadnavis wrote a letter to the finance ministry and requested the Centre to give priority to the Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar route for which the state cabinet has given the nod on January 2. Following the state government’s nod, the proposal has been forwarded to the central government for the final approval. 

PMRDA chief executive officer Kiran Gitte said that the proposal for the Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar Metro project has been submitted to the Centre.

“The chief minister has taken personal interest in it and has written a letter to the finance ministry to give priority to this project in Pune. The project will require the nod from the urban development ministry, niti aayog and finance ministry. After getting the nod from all the three departments, it will be put in front of the union cabinet for the final approval,” he said. 

Metro Line 3 between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar is 23.3 km in length and is expected to cost ₹8,313 crores. First two lines between Pimpri Chinchwad to Swargate and Vanaz to Ramwadi is being executed by Maha-Metro and the work is already in progress. 

 Gitte said, “There are chances that the third Metro line will get the nod from the central government very soon and after that the PMRDA would start the tendering process for it.” 

He said, “The Metro will connect Hinjewadi, the IT hub to Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. It will reduce traffic congestion and will improve efficiency of the IT hub. The project will be completed following Public Private Partnership (PPP) model and will improve the quality of people’s life.” 

The project will be implemented according to the central government’s new Metro policy. All the stations will be equipped with the latest technology, amenities and state of the art architecture. The Metro will ply through Hinjewadi, Wakad, Balewadi, Pune University and Shivajinagar. At Shivajinagar, it would align with other two metro lines at the civil court junction. Passengers can travel through all the three lines in a single ticket. 

ON FAST TRACK

• Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has been notified as a Special Planning Authority 

• It will be implemented through the PPP model and is expected to cost ₹8,313 crore. 

• Metro Line - 3 fare would be similar to that of Metro Line 1 and Metro Line 2. 

• Unified Metropolitan Transport Committee (UMTA) will be established next year. 

• Central government will finance ₹1,137 crores as Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and state government’s ₹812 crores will be raised through land development by PMRDA 

• Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 is declared as ‘Vital Infrastructure Project’ and people affected by it will be rehabilitated as per Mumbai Urban Transport Policy.