Two metro extension routes in Pune now under PM Gati Shakti

Both extension routes fall on line 1 between Swargate and Chinchwad, and the cost approved by the centre for each of the two routes stands at Rs3,668 crores

PUNE: With the Swargate-Katraj and Chinchwad-Nigdi metro rail extension routes being included in the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP), officials from the Maha Metro executing the project expressed likelihood of the two proposals (extension routes) soon being approved by the central cabinet after which work will immediately begin on ground.

The PM Gati Shakti NMP was launched in October 2021 and entails a transformative approach towards integrated and holistic planning across concerned ministries/departments. (Hindustan Times)

The PM Gati Shakti NMP was launched in October 2021 and entails a transformative approach towards integrated and holistic planning across concerned ministries/departments. With the inclusion of the Swargate-Katraj and Chinchwad-Nigdi metro rail extension routes in the PM Gati Shakti NMP, the two are now among 63 infrastructure projects under this initiative, as per the minister of state for commerce and industry, Som Parkash’s reply to a parliamentary question earlier this month.

Both extension routes fall on line 1 between Swargate and Chinchwad, and the cost approved by the centre for each of the two routes stands at Rs3,668 crores. “The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and state government have already given their green signal to these routes,” Maha Metro managing director Brijesh Dixit had said earlier last month. Whereas Maha Metro director Atul Gadgil in an interview with Hindustan Times on January 19 had revealed the Maha Metro’s tie-up with financial agencies for borrowing loans for these two extension routes. “We also kept one tunnel boring machine (TBM) ready for starting the underground work between Swargate and Katraj. The contractor is putting pressure on us but we are keeping everything ready. Maha Metro is in a position to start work immediately after getting the nod,” Gadgil had said.

Whereas the guiding principles for development of all infrastructure under PM Gati Shakti NMP are minimising disruptions and ensuring quick completion of works with cost efficiency. The initiative has a digital component in the form of a GIS-based platform, which integrates geospatial data related to the infrastructure in the country and planning portals of various ministries/departments of the government. Twenty-four central ministries or departments in addition to the NITI Aayog are part of the PM Gati Shakti. To ensure better decision-making and coordination among various central ministries/departments and state governments, a three-tier institutional arrangement in the form of an empowered group of secretaries (EGoS), network planning group (NPG) and technical support unit (TSU) has been created at both the central and state levels. More than 150 critical infrastructure gaps have been identified by adopting the PM Gati Shakti mechanism. It aims at reducing the logistics costs and supporting economic activity in the country.