PUNE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various projects of Rs 11,200 crore in Maharashtra via video conference.
His visit to Pune scheduled on September 26 was cancelled due to heavy rains in the city.
Prime minister Narendra Modi said the double engine government under the leadership of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has been focusing on infrastructure development and connectivity in metro cities in Maharashtra.
"The Pune Metro concept came in 2008, however, it was our government that started working for metro development in 2016. The earlier government did not do anything to connect the important places by metro and road, but our government is focusing on development only," the PM said.
PM Modi also praised the work of Mahayuti government. "Pune city has been growing and population of the city is also increasing. Therefore, it is the duty of the government to provide all infrastructure development and state of the art facilities for the ease of living in Metro cities.” Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi virtually inaugurated the Pune Metro section from District Court to Swargate, which also marks the completion of the Pune Metro Rail Project (Phase-1).
The cost of the underground section between District Court to Swargate is around Rs 1,810 crore, as per officials.
Modi also laid the foundation stone for Swargate-Katraj extension of the Pune Metro Phase-1 to be developed at the cost of around Rs 2,955 crore.
This southern extension of 5.46 km is completely underground with three stations, namely Market Yard, Padmavati and Katraj, according to officials.
Modi also inaugurated Bidkin Industrial Area, a transformative project covering an expansive 7,855 acres under the National Industrial Corridor Development Program, situated 20 km south of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra.
The project developed under the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor holds immense potential as a vibrant economic hub in the Marathwada region, the officials said.
The central government has approved this project with an overall project cost of more than Rs 6,400 crore for development in three phases, they said.
PM Modi also inaugurated the Solapur Airport, which would significantly improve connectivity, making Solapur more accessible to tourists, business travellers and investors.
The existing terminal building of Solapur has been revamped to serve nearly 4.AG1 lakh passengers annually, the officials said.
Modi also laid the foundation stone for the memorial of Krantijyoti Savitribai Phule's first girls' school at Bhidewada.
A cultural and skill centre will be developed along with a library as part of the memorial.
“I am confident that this memorial will inspire the next generation and open the door for girls and women in various sectors. We are focusing on the safety of the woman and most of the policies are girls and women-centric. Our government is committed to the development of woman,” said Modi.
(With inputs from PTI)