PM Narendra Modi to visit Pune on August 1, share dais with Sharad Pawar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi. File Photo/ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Pune on August 1, where he is expected to inaugurate two much-awaited stretches of the Pune Metro. The inauguration ceremony will include the stretch from Phugewadi to Shivajinagar and another stretch from Garware College to Ruby Hall Clinic.

The Prime Minister is likely to share dais with Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar for an event in the city, according to a report.

The Pune Metro project has experienced some delays, with the completion of these two stretches being delayed by about two months. However, according to Maharashtra Metro officials, both stretches are now complete and ready for inauguration. The final inspection was conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, who has given the go-ahead for starting services on both routes pending the safety compliance certificate.

PM Modi's association with the Pune Metro project dates back to December 2018 when he laid the foundation stone. He inaugurated the Pune Metro in March 2022 and had also inaugurated two stretches previously, one from PCMC headquarters in Pimpri to Phugewadi, and the other from Vanaz to Garware College.

The Phugewadi-Shivajinagar route, which is approximately 6.9 km long, will connect Pune Metro to Civil Court in Shivajinagar. On the other hand, the stretch from Garware College to Ruby Hall Clinic is about 4.7 km long and is part of the Vanaz-Ramwadi corridor, which is 15.7 km in total.

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The upcoming inauguration is highly anticipated by residents of Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune, as the metro service is expected to alleviate the traffic congestion on the Pune-Mumbai highway. It will significantly benefit college students and office-goers who commute between Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune city daily for work and education.

The Prime Minister will also be honoured with the prestigious Lokmanya Tilak National Award in Pune. The award is being conferred on him by the Lokmanya Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust, which recognizes his "exceptional leadership" and efforts in inspiring a sense of patriotism among the citizens of India.

The Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust (Hind Swaraj Sangh) announced their decision to bestow the award on PM Modi on the occasion of the 103rd death anniversary of Lokmanya Tilak. The award ceremony is set to take place in Pune, and the Trust has invited veteran politician Sharad Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo, to attend the event as the chief guest.

Both the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Sharad Pawar have accepted the invitation to the ceremony, as confirmed by Rohit Tilak, the great-grandson of freedom fighter Bal Gangadhar Tilak and the vice president of Tilak Smarak Mandir Trust, according to the report.