Nitin Gadkari: ‘Infrastructure Focus Key to Pune’s Progress’
Reported By – Varad Bhatkhande
Pune, 11th May 2024: A campaign meeting was convened at Natubaug Maidan in the presence of Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India Nitin Gadkari to support the BJP candidate Muralidhar Mohol for the Pune Lok Sabha Constituency. Also in attendance were the Maharashtra State President of BJP, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, and the Minister of Higher and Technical Education of Maharashtra, Chandrakant Patil, among others.
In this meeting, Union Minister Gadkari stated, “The INDIA Alliance lacks substantive points, which is why they are resorting to creating confusion by alleging that we will amend the Indian Constitution. They fail to understand that the basic principles of the Constitution are fixed. It was, in fact, Indira Gandhi who made alterations to the constitution, and the Congress party itself has made around 80 amendments to it.”
He continued, “In the past five years, I have allocated Rs 5 lakh crores in funds for Maharashtra. Pune grapples with issues of pollution and traffic congestion. The airport experiences crowds similar to Swargate. Hence, just like Navi Mumbai, a new Pune is imperative.”
Changing the subject, he remarked, “It’s the first time we’re seeing Girish Bapat and Mukta Tilak absent from the campaign. The issues concerning the Pune metro and airport were unresolved. However, we obtained clearance from the Ministry of Defence, resolving the airport’s predicament swiftly. Similarly, we addressed the metro issue promptly. Currently, we’re constructing roads to reduce travel time between Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar to just two hours. Work on the Pune-Bengaluru highway is also underway. Plans for double-decker flyovers on the Pune-Nashik and Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur routes are in progress. Additionally, a new elevated road will connect Kiwale to Navale Bridge. We’ve allocated Rs 12 thousand crores to create a Palkhi marg, set to be inaugurated post-elections. By December, the dream of a road connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari will materialize. The Modi government’s focus on infrastructure has led to a threefold increase in exports, boosting industry and employment. Hence, there’s a push to decrease imports and increase exports. Indian Oil is set to launch 300 ethanol pumps, contributing to environmental sustainability. Furthermore, Pune will undergo beautification through the River Bank Development Project.”
He continued, “Our approach is to serve the underprivileged as if they were divine. If 25 crore people rise above the poverty line, poverty will cease to exist in the country. Merely catering to minority groups isn’t true secularism. What I promise, I deliver; my actions speak for themselves. No one can point out a discrepancy between my words and actions.”
Concluding his address, he added, “The construction of the Pune Ring Road is underway, aiming to alleviate traffic congestion. Reflecting on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway project, I acknowledge the oversight of not considering the long-term impact over 25 years. Nonetheless, the ring road will effectively divert highway traffic away from the city, resolving congestion issues.”
