No new projects for Pune in Maha budget

Budgetary provisions for finance minister Ajit Pawar's home district covered only previously approved or ongoing projects

- Abhay Khairnar

PUNE: Despite Pune being home district of finance minister Ajit Pawar, expectations of new projects for the city in the Maharashtra budget for 2025-26 remained unfulfilled. Instead, budgetary provisions focused only on previously approved or ongoing projects.

While Pawar mentioned Pune in his speech, all projects he referred to had already been sanctioned or were in progress.

Among the key infrastructure projects he highlighted were two major elevated roads.

"The construction of the elevated road from Pune to Shirur, spanning 54km at an estimated cost of ₹7,515 crore, is already in progress," he said.

Pawar mentioned another project. "A four-lane elevated road is proposed for Talegaon to Chakan stretch of Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur Road, covering 25 km. The project is expected to cost ₹6,499 crore."

Though Pawar outlined costs, he did not announce fresh allocations from the state budget, as Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari confirmed these elevated roads would be funded by central govt.

Metro rail expansion