Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a robust defence of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) record in Pune on Monday, countering criticism from the opposition while revealing a startling statistic about the city's infrastructure deficit. Speaking at a rally in Katraj to kick off the BJP's campaign for the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) elections, Fadnavis stated that Pune has the least number of roads compared to any other city in India.
The Infrastructure Deficit and Political Counterattack
Fadnavis attributed the city's chronic traffic problems to a severe shortage of road space. He presented data showing that only 9 percent of Pune's land is used for roads, a figure dramatically lower than the 22 percent average in other major Indian cities. "I don't want to do politics or blame somebody for it," he said, though the context was a direct rebuttal to NCP(SP) chief Ajit Pawar's criticism of the local BJP leadership.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the BJP's tenure since coming to power in the city in 2017 marked the beginning of "actual development." He challenged the opposition's right to question progress, noting that NCP leaders had controlled the city for 25 years prior. Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol echoed this, asking Pawar, "You led Pune as Guardian minister. What did you do when the reins were in your hands?"
Blueprint for a Future Pune: Tunnels, Metros, and Ring Roads
Outlining an ambitious vision to transform Pune's transport landscape, Fadnavis announced a series of mega-projects. The most striking is a plan to create a 54 km network of underground roads and tunnels in the city, estimated to cost a staggering Rs 32,000 crore. With surface land scarce, this subterranean solution aims to decongest the city, with work proposed to start from the Katraj area.
He also detailed other key initiatives:
- Metro Expansion: A total of 110 km of metro network is now approved. While 34 km is operational, an additional 23 km will be functional soon.
- Road & Flyover Projects: Work is underway on 8 flyovers, with 13 more planned. Thirty-two roads are slated for widening using Artificial Intelligence for assessment.
- Outer Ring Road: This under-construction project is expected to reduce city traffic by 40%. The state government has allocated Rs 55,000 crore, and work on 9 of its 12 phases has begun.
- Public Transport: Strengthening through the introduction of more electric buses.
Pune's Growth and the Upcoming Civic Battle
Framing these projects as essential for a booming city, Fadnavis called Pune India's fastest-growing city and the growth engine of Maharashtra. He projected that the city's population would reach 65 lakhs by the next census, driven in part by the establishment of Global Capability Centres (GCC).
The rally, held in an NCP stronghold, sets the stage for a fiercely contested PMC election. The BJP's campaign is clearly positioning itself as the party of transformative infrastructure, seeking to contrast its future plans with what it labels as the opposition's past neglect. The development pitch around roads, metro, and tunnels is now central to its political narrative for Pune.
