RailEnquiry

PUNE: The city's metro project seems to be moving on the fast track. After a green signal from the Union government, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Saturday assured allocation of funds in the next state budget.Pawar, however, asked all local representatives and corporations to develop a positive stand to take ahead the project instead of delaying it at the level of discussion and planning.Pawar was addressing a meeting of MLAs, corporators and officials of the Pune Municipal Corporation. He said, "There are differences regarding allocation of funds by the PMC and the PCMC for the metro. I had discussed this issue with chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. We have decided that both corporations would allocate funds on the basis of the stretch and scope of the project in their respective jurisdictions."PMC commissioner Mahesh Pathak said that the metro proposal will now go before the Union cabinet which will discuss allocation of funds. A meeting is planned in Delhi on Monday to discuss the proposal, after which it will be send before the cabinet, he added.Pawar further assured that pending issues regarding the actual functioning of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) would be resolved in a couple of months. "A meeting was held recently with the chief minister who suggested bringing the PMRDA, the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and the Pimpri Chinchawd New Township Development Authority under an officer of the IAS rank." Pawar said that he was in favour of accepting CM's suggestion. He said that a meeting would be called in the next one month to discuss this issue.

MLA Girish Bapat, who was present in the meeting, raised the issue of increasing accidents on the Pune-Mumbai expressway. Bapat said that Pawar has assured to call a joint meeting of the MLAs of Pune district and officials of MSRDC, PWD and RTO to discuss possible solutions.