Indian Express 21.01.2010
Divided voices, elusive funds
Civic body : Day after standing committee sought aid for Metro project, Mayor trashes idea
A day after the standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) showed green signal to a Metro rail for the city and sought Rs 1,200 crore each from the Centre and the state governments for the first phase of the project, Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal sought to apply the brakes. He told reporters on Wednesday that the metro rail project was not feasible in the city considering its ‘geography’. He suggested that the city should go for a mono rail instead.
The mayor, an NCP corporator, said he would personally hold discussions and debates on the issue to take into consideration public opinion about the proposed project. Rajpal criticised civic chief Mahesh Zagade for not taking him into confidence before pushing the Metro rail project.
The Metro rail project cannot happen in Pune. It is not feasible in the city simply because of its geographical conditions. All the junctions proposed in the plan are at crowded places like the Agriculture College, PMC headquarters in Shivajinagar or the Maldhakka Junction. The project appears too futuristic as there is problem in acquiring land in places like Maldhakka chowk, which the railway authorities are not yet ready to part with. Against this backdrop, a mono rail project is more feasible,” the Mayor said.
“As per the proposal, the rail goes underground at some places. But if we dig the road close to the PMC building for that purpose, we would find sewage water just five feet deep. So how is it possible?”
Rajpal said there were a number of errors in the detailed project report (DPR) for the Metro and there was huge scope for improvement. “The ‘Pune Metro Co-operation Committee’, comprising experts in the field, had met me and explained to me how the cost of this Rs 6,000-crore project could be reduced by about Rs 1,500 crore if some alterations were made in the plan. Therefore, I am going to put up this committee report before the civic commissioner for his consideration.”The Mayor said he would convene meetings to create a public opinion on the issue and take into view objections raised by various transport bodies and groups. “Some transport groups like the autorickshaw organisations might have their objections and in order to understand all that, I will personally hold debates and discussions on the issue.”
He said the sudden push to the Metro proposal might have been made in order to facilitate its inclusion in the Union Budget this year.
However, the saffron parties have extended their support to the project. Shiv Sena leader Shyam Deshpande said, “In the history of Pune city and PMC, the decision regarding the Metro rail has been the best one so far. In fact, this decision should have come at least a year ago.” BJP leader Mukta Tilak said the project should be studied in detail before going in for implementation.
