Now Reading: Pune metro line 3 launch delayed by election code
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Pune metro line 3 launch delayed by election code
Pune's Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar metro line 3 faces another delay as the model code of conduct for Maharashtra legislative council elections clashes with the planned launch of services on 17 of 23 stations. The…
Pune's Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar metro line 3 faces another delay as the model code of conduct for Maharashtra legislative council elections clashes with the planned launch of services on 17 of 23 stations. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority is awaiting an inauguration date from the Prime Minister's Office, but the election code is now in force. PMRDA commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari said the authority will seek guidance from the collector's office on whether the launch can proceed.
The metro's first phase had received provisional safety approval from the commissioner of metro rail safety on July 23 for 12 stations covering 13 km between Maan and Balewadi. PMRDA later expanded the opening to 17 stations but is still awaiting final clearance for the additional section. The 23.2 km elevated corridor connecting Hinjewadi IT hub to central Pune has missed multiple deadlines, with promised June and July openings pushed back due to construction and clearance issues. Commuters face continued uncertainty as the election code complicates scheduling.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The MLC election code disruption means Pune's IT corridor commuters face yet another indefinite wait for a metro line first proposed in 2016 and originally slated for completion in 2021. The Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar corridor is India's first metro built under the 2014 public-private partnership policy, designed to relieve the Pune-Mumbai highway that sees over 150,000 vehicles daily. PMRDA is the project authority, but the PMO decides the inauguration date, and the Election Commission now decides whether any government event can proceed under MCC rules that bar announcing new projects or claiming credit for them during polling. If the code blocks the launch, the next window would open only after the MLC election results are declared, likely in late September or early October. The safety commissioner's pending report on the remaining five stations will then determine whether 17 or all 23 stations open first.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
