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PM Modi to inaugurate Pune Metro via video conferencing on September 29
Modi will also lay foundation stone of Swargate-Katraj metro and Bhide Wada where Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule started the first girls’ school in India
Late on Thursday evening, Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha-Metro) officials said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Shivajinagar District Court-Swargate underground metro stretch on September 29 through video conferencing. Sources from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said, party leaders, including deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, are likely to remain present in Pune for the inauguration.
The prime minister will also lay foundation stone of Swargate-Katraj metro line and Bhide Wada where Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule started the first girls’ school in India.
Maha-Metro managing director Shravan Hardikar said that the decision to delay the inauguration was based on the severe weather forecast for Pune.
The postponement has left commuters and citizens frustrated, many of whom have taken to the social media to voice their concerns. The delay in opening the long-awaited underground metro stretch has heightened public dissatisfaction, particularly in light of the city’s existing traffic woes exacerbated by recent rainfall.
Citizens have raised questions over why the metro service cannot start without the prime minister’s formal inauguration.
On social media platform X, Kishore Sidhwani wrote, “Why should services not start just because the PM can’t inaugurate? The metro is built for the people and should be operational as soon as it’s ready. Public convenience and revenue should be prioritised.”
Another user, Abhiroop Biswas, said, “Consider starting the metro service with a virtual inauguration. It will ease traffic and help the public.”
Many echoed similar sentiments, arguing that the metro service, constructed with public funds, should not remain idle for the sake of ceremonial formalities. “Pune’s infrastructure is already struggling, why delay the opening just for a ribbon-cutting?” Aniket Sahani said.
In response to the pressure from political parties and citizens, the Maha-Metro administration released a statement acknowledging the frustrations, but emphasised that safety and preparedness were paramount. “We have received a safety certificate with conditions, and we are working to ensure all requirements are met before opening the line,” Hardikar said.
While political parties, including the opposition, have been vocal about the delays, with some demanding the metro’s immediate opening, the metro authorities maintain that any decision will be taken with careful consideration of public safety and weather conditions.
As the city braces for more rainfall, it remains uncertain when the metro’s crucial underground stretch will finally be available to commuters, leaving many to wonder how long they will have to wait for the much-needed relief from the city’s crippling traffic congestion.
