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Covid-19 likely to put Pune’s 4 mega projects like HCMTR on hold
To efficiently tackle the strain on city’s health infrastructure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to tighten its purse strings. According to Pune municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad, a recent circular by the state government asked civic bodies, including PMC, to avoid starting new projects.
To efficiently tackle the strain on city’s health infrastructure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to tighten its purse strings. Mega infrastructure projects like the high capacity mass transport route (HCMTR), redevelopment of Sarasbaug, two grade separators and flyovers are likely to be put on hold by the civic body.
According to Pune municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad, a recent circular by the state government asked civic bodies, including PMC, to avoid starting new projects.
“It’s a fact that Covid-19 has resulted in reduced revenue for PMC and the state government. Recently, the state government issued a circular to civic bodies and instructed them to avoid kick-starting new projects. The state government instructed government departments to keep projects on hold if they are not needed urgently,” Gaikwad said.
Some civic body departments have received instructions from senior officials to go slow on new projects, a PMC official said. The civic body had proposed some of these projects in its annual budget for the ongoing financial year.
“The list of projects which are likely to go on hold is yet to be made, but our efforts are to include projects considering the estimate of the upcoming revenue. Projects like HCMTR and Sarasbaug can be executed later and so, PMC will be able to focus on important issues such as health,” Gaikwad said.
HCMTR is a 30-year-old project also known as the inner ring road worth over Rs 5,000 crore. The proposed project promises to ease traffic congestion in the central parts of the city. The Sarasbaug redevelopment was proposed this year on a public-private partnership basis through which PMC proposed to build an underground parking lot and develop a food mall.
Besides HCMTR and the Sarasbaug project, a grade separator at Kasba peth and two flyovers proposed by PMC are also likely to go on hold.
PMC standing committee chairman Hemant Rasne had made a Rs230-crore provision for proposed flyovers and grade separators in the city. One flyover is proposed near Market Yard and a grade separator has been proposed at Kasba eth. At least Rs20 crore has been proposed for a cultural academy at Kothrud.
PMC standing committee chairman Hemant Rasne, said, “It is true that the state government issued a circular for not taking up new projects, but the financial year has just started. The lockdown has only affected economic activity over the past two months and now, businesses are starting. Being the standing committee chairman, I took a lot of effort to get more revenue for the civic body by introducing new resources. If projects like HCMTR are passed, it would require very little expenditure in the first year. The administration will require at least six months for the tender process to complete.”
Congress leader Aba Bagul said, “While putting projects on hold the administration should keep in mind that a project like the HCMTR has already been delayed. If it is delayed further, the project cost would increase. It is better to keep the process going on.”
Civic activist Vijay Kumbhar said that many schemes proposed in this year’s financial budget were unwanted like erecting foot overbridges at various places. “The concept of foot overbridges is not popular in the city. It is good that considering the Covid-19 situation, PMC has decided to concentrate on key issues rather than beautification and unnecessary projects.”
