Metro

MP

Anil Shirole

Rao Indrajit Singh

Rajiv Gandhi

Katraj Zoo

CM Prithviraj Chavan

BJP

Urban Development Ministry

Pune Municipal Corporation

State Cabinet

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation Limited

Meanwhile

NCM

S C N Jathar

Anita Benninger

Ranjit Gadgil

T he Puneproject received another setback as BJPfrom the cityon Sunday urged the Minister of State for Planning, to not give the required permission for the project. Shirole insisted that the proposed 14.925-km elevated Vanaz-Ramwadi route be turned into a ground-level route.Ironically, 24 hours earlier, on Saturday, while inaugurating a bust ofat thedeclared that the State had given its consent for the project and tthat he inauguration ceremony be immediately held.In arally in the city on Sunday, Singh assured Shirole, “The Centre will closely scrutinse the Pune Metro project prior to sanctioning funds for it. Public money should be utilised carefully.”The proposal for Pune Metro is currently pending for final approval with the. In February, the Ministry had given its principal approval to the project, following which the State’s High Power Committee instructed(PMC) to carry out special suggestion and objection procedures.The Metro project is part of PMC’s Draft Development Plan (DP) of the old city, which is yet to be approved. For its speedy approval, the committee also suggested PMC to conduct public suggestion and objection sessions. The civic body, on July 15 began hosting the same on the Development Control Rules (DC) of the Metro project and included it in its old city DP.Approving the project, thein October, 2013 had pushed the Phase I deadline to 2021, whereas thereport had originally expected the project to be completed by May, 2014. However, in June 2012, the State approved the elevated Vanaz-Ramwadi route and pegging the completion of Phase I by 2017.The revised estimated cost of the project now stands at Rs 10,183 crore. While the Chinchwad-Swargate corridor is expected to cost Rs 6,960 crore, the Vanaz-Ramwadi route will cost Rs 3,223 crore. As compared the estimated cost in 2009, the cumulative cost has risen by Rs 2,199 crore. Considering the pushed deadline, State officials now fear that the revised estimated cost will need to be revised once more, as costs are expectedto rise., activists are divided over the four Floor Space Index (FSI) planned along the Pune Metro route. Nagrik Chetna Manch (), which was opposing the creation of FSI, has now decided to support its setting up.Retired General, president of NCM, said that FSI will additionally create public amenities, if the need to integrate transportation with land-use planning is done correctly.“We have great doubts in PMC’s ability to do so, as the civic administration’s motive is not to set up a good Mass Transport System (MTS), but to oblige developers at the insistence of politicians and the bureaucracy,” Jathar said.However, other activists likeandare opposing the FSIs, saying it’s harmful to the city’s development.