PUNE: It seems as Lok Sabha elections are going to be be announced soon, the ruling BJP has decided to go ahead with the launch of one developmental project after another. On Saturday, MahaMetro has organised a foundation stone-laying ceremony of Swargate multimodal hub project by CM Fadnavis.
The programme has been scheduled on the occasion of one-day visit of BJP National President Amit Shah in Pune on the same day (February 9).
Madhuri Misal, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Parvati assembly constituency of BJP said, “CM Fadnavis took the initiative to push the project under Public Private Partnership scheme. I pursued the project. The concept has been adopted from multimodal transport hub in Berlin.”
Atul Gadgil, Executive Director of the Pune Metro Project of MahaMetro, said, “Mahametro, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) are stakeholders of the hub. The facility will integrate public transport service-Metro rail, PMPML and MSRTC buses, autorickshaws and private vehicles. MahaMetro has floated a tender of Rs 250 crore for commercial building and underground station which are part of Multimodal transport hub.”
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has allotted 28,000 square metres of land to MahaMetro on the lease period of 30 years. The PMC has handed over land to MahaMetro which will construct three overhead water tanks and give it to the civic body. The project is spread on 23 acres of land of which 7.5 acre required for Phase-I are in MahaMetro’s possession. The plan also includes provision of two roads for movement of buses. The area under PMPML and the area possessed by MSRTC is part of the project. MahaMetro also plans to allow commercial activity by increasing the number of floors of the hub. The authorities have also planned to develop a Metro station underground.
The project will be executed in two phases. Phase-I will involve construction of an underground Metro station, parking lots, PMPML bus station and bays for vehicles.