Connectivity stress
Other allocations last year included renovation of sports facilities at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex and establishment of 18 new courts in Paud, Indapur and Junnar. A sewage treatment project worth Rs8,200 crore aimed at ensuring water sustainability for industries and agriculture was also announced. During a virtual interaction with the chief minister following last week’s District Planning and Development Council (DPDC) meeting, the MLAs from Pune district sought funds for the Purandar airport project to boost regional connectivity and improve the city’s internal road network. They also pressed for enhanced facilities around the Bhimashankar shrine ahead of the upcoming Kumbh Mela and sought to scale up the international cycling event — Pune Grand Tour. Inter-city connectivity projects such as the Pune ring road and the proposed Pune–Nashik high-speed rail corridor also figured in the discussions. Under culture and urban development, Rs50 crore was earmarked to expedite completion of the Shivshrushti project in Ambegaon and renovation of the Vastaad Lahuji Salve memorial.
Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis will present the state budget on March 6. Former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar’s budget speech last year mentioned several infrastructure projects, including the expansion of Pune Metro Phase II with an outlay of Rs9,897 crore for the Khadakwasla–Swargate–Hadapsar–Kharadi and Nal Stop–Warje–Manikbagh corridors, and a 54km elevated Pune–Shirur road at an estimated cost of Rs7,514 crore.
They said the government was likely to prioritise flagship welfare schemes such as Mukhya Mantri Majhi Ladki Bahin Yojana. “With little financial elbow room, the budget is unlikely to offer new big-ticket schemes,” an MLA said. “We are in a bit of a dilemma amid the execution of the Ladki Bahin scheme by curtailing funds for major projects,” an official said.
Some MLAs expressed concerns over fiscal constraints, though. Senior officials also expressed doubts over funds allocation for new projects.