Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone, inaugurated, and dedicated to the nation several projects in Maharashtra worth Rs 11,200 crore, aimed at enhancing the state’s logistics and transportation infrastructure.
The Prime Minister virtually inaugurated the Solapur Airport which would significantly improve connectivity, making Solapur more accessible to tourists, business travellers and investors. The existing terminal building of Solapur has been revamped to serve around 4.1 lakh passengers annually.
He also inaugurated the Pune Metro section of District Court to Swargate and laid the foundation stone for Swargate-Katraj Extension of Pune Metro phase-1.
“The terminal capacity has increased, and new services and facilities have been created for the passengers after the completion of the upgradation work of the existing airport, thereby increasing convenience for the devotees of Bhagwan Vitthal. The airport would also give a boost to businesses, industries and tourism,” Modi said.
He further stated that Maharashtra needs big goals with new resolutions, emphasising the need to make cities like Pune a center of progress and urban development. “Steps need to be taken now to augment development and capacity. To achieve this goal, the present state government is working with the approach of modernising Pune’s public transport and giving a boost to connectivity as the city expands,” Modi noted.
The Prime Minister recalled that discussions about Pune Metro began in 2008 but its foundation stone was laid in 2016 when quick decisions were taken by his government, which has resulted in speedy development and expansion of the project.
Modi underscored the importance of development-driven governance in ensuring Maharashtra’s progress, emphasising that any disruption in this continuity leads to significant losses for the state. He highlighted various stalled projects, from metro initiatives to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and critical irrigation projects for farmers, which were delayed before the advent of the double-engine government.
The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation Bidkin Industrial Area, a transformative project covering an expansive 7,855 acres under the National Industrial Corridor Development Program, situated 20 kms south of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra.
The project developed under Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor holds immense potential as a vibrant economic hub in the Marathwada region. Central government has approved this project with an overall project cost of over Rs 6,400 crore for development in 3 phases.
The project is expected to attract Rs 56,200 crore worth of investments creating more than 30000 jobs.
Speaking about the Bidkin Industrial Area, a vital component of the Auric City conceptualised during the tenure of the then Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Modi said that the project, located on the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor had faced obstacles but was revived under the leadership of the double-engine government headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
“With the development of the Bidkin Industrial Area across 8,000 acres, thousands of crores of investment will flow into Maharashtra, creating jobs for thousands of youth,” the Prime Minister said. He said both future-ready infrastructure and the benefits of development reaching every section are equally important for Maharashtra and underlined that it can become a reality when every section of society participates in the development of the country.
