Pune Airport’s New Terminal Inauguration Delayed Due to PM Modi’s Unavailability, Alleges Congress Leader
Pune, 21st December 2023: The inauguration of Pune Airport’s highly anticipated new terminal building faces delays, stirring allegations and statements from both political figures and airport officials. Congress leader Mohan Joshi recently voiced concerns, attributing the delay to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s purported unavailability for the event.
Joshi conveyed to a TOI reporter on Wednesday that the scheduled opening of the new terminal may not meet its deadline due to Prime Minister Modi’s unavailability. Expressing dissatisfaction, Joshi emphasized that should the terminal fail to become operational by January 1, the Congress plans to initiate protests.
Highlighting the inconvenience faced by travelers, Joshi stressed the importance of swiftly commencing operations in the new terminal. According to Joshi, the construction has concluded several months ago, but the absence of Prime Minister Modi during the inauguration was allegedly due to his involvement in recent assembly election campaigns.
The construction of the new terminal, initially slated for completion by September 2022 at an estimated cost of Rs 475 crore, commenced in 2017. However, the project faced delays, pushing the anticipated completion date further
Expressing frustration at the situation, Joshi lamented the potential suffering of travelers due to delayed inauguration proceedings.
On the other hand, Santosh Dhoke, the Airport Director at Pune Airport, provided an alternative perspective. Dhoke stated that the delay in the inauguration is not solely due to the Prime Minister’s unavailability but revealed that the Civil Aviation Ministry is yet to provide formal approval for the inauguration of the new terminal building.
