₹699 Cr For Pune Metro, ₹230 Cr For Mula Mutha River Rejuvenation Draw Mixed Reactions From Punekars

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Budget for FY 2025-26 on Saturday. In her presentation, she made a provision of ₹699.13 crore for Pune Metro and ₹229.94 crore for the Mula Mutha Rejuvenation Project. Following the announcement, The Free Press Journal reached out to Punekars to gauge their reactions to the provisions made for the city. The responses were mixed, with some expressing satisfaction, while others voiced disappointment over the budgetary allocations.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Maharashtra vice-president, Kunal Tilak, said, “It is great news for all Punekars that the central government has sanctioned a substantial budget for Pune Metro. This shows the political will for a project that will change the face of Pune in the next 5-7 years. Results are evident when it comes to the metro, and this budget will help faster implementation of the sanctioned new metro lines.” “The ₹230 crore for the Mula Mutha River Rejuvenation Project is a substantial amount. Without any substantial progress seen by the citizens, the budget needs to be used in tandem with the Riverfront Development Project while keeping in mind the environmental concerns regarding the same,” he added.

Senior Congress leader Mohan Joshi, on the other hand, said the central government hasn’t given Pune much in this budget. “The need of the hour was to improve the existing public transport system, which is the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) buses. The city needs at least 1,000 more buses so that people stop using private vehicles to commute. Besides, the FM did not even mention anything about the Pune-Lonavala railway line expansion or the Pune-Nashik semi-high-speed rail project. Overall, it was a pretty disappointing budget.”

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Mukund Kirdat highlighted that the government should focus more on providing end-to-end connectivity to the metro commuters of the existing routes by introducing feeder buses. “Several Smart City projects are left incomplete, including improving Pune’s public transport system. It was also expected that the FM would announce an AIIMS-like government hospital in Pune. Besides, there has been no forward movement in the development of the Purandar Airport. After Pune MP Murlidhar Mohol was made the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, it was expected that the city would get an airport soon, but there has been no development so far, which is saddening,” he added.

Ranjeet Rane, a public policy professional, said the two big provisions are a mixed bag. “While the funding for the metro projects has been long in the offing, the allocations to the RFD projects come across as a signal that the voices of citizens continue to be ignored. Considering the high number of defence establishments in and around Pune, a long-term plan to promote the setting up of a defence manufacturing hub under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission was a missed opportunity. Such a hub would help amplify employment opportunities in and around the city,” he added.

Cybersecurity expert Sandeep Godbole said he was happy that both these projects have been considered by the central government. “We could always ask for more. However, Mula Mutha River Rejuvenation Project and Pune Metro are both priorities for us, so I am definitely satisfied to that extent,” he added.

Activist Vivek Velankar emphasised that the basic requirement of Punekars was the treatment of sewage, and money should have been provided for that purpose.