New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated Pune Metro Rail Project and laid the foundation stone and inaugurated multiple developmental projects in Pune.
Speaking on the occasion, Modi recalled the contribution of Pune in the freedom struggle and paid tributes to the freedom fighters like Lokmanya Tilak, Chapekar Brothers, Gopal Ganesh Agarkar, Senapati Bapat, Gopal Krishna Deshmukh, R G Bhandarakar and Mahadev Govind Ranade. He also bowed to Rambhau Mhalgi and Baba Saheb Purandare.
The Prime Minister, who unveiled the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the premises of Pune Municipal Corporation earlier, paid tribute to the great warrior king. “This statue of Shivaji Maharaj, who resides in the heart of all of us, will awaken the spirit of patriotism in the younger generation”, he said.
Referring to the inauguration of the Pune Metro Project by him earlier, the Prime Minister said, “It is my good fortune that you had invited me to lay the foundation stone of Pune Metro and now you have given me the opportunity to inaugurate it. It also has the message that plans can be completed on time.”. Modi added “Pune has also continuously strengthened its identity in the fields of Education, Research & Development, IT and Automobile. In such a situation, modern facilities are the need of the people of Pune and our government is working keeping this need of the people of Pune in mind.”
Modi said that while Metro services were available in very few cities till 2014, today more than two dozen cities are either being benefitted by the metro services or are on the verge of getting it. Maharashtra, he said, has quite a significant share of this expansion if we look at Mumbai, Thane, Nagpur and Pimpri Chinchwad Pune.
“This Metro will ease mobility in Pune, give relief from pollution and jams, increase the ease of living of the people of Pune”, the Prime Minister said. He also called upon the people of Pune specially the well-off people to make it a habit to use Metro and other public transport.