Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday assured farmers in drought-affected parts of Maharashtra of assistance from the Union government, urging them not to lose hope amid the crisis. He also appealed to people across the country to extend support to farmers during the festive season.
Speaking after virtually inaugurating Pune Metro’s 23.2-km Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar corridor, Modi said the state government had already extended advance financial assistance and that funds under the Centre’s PM-Kisan scheme had also been deposited.
“I am aware of the drought situation in Maharashtra. The state government has provided advance assistance, and our government has also deposited the PM-Kisan funds. So, you do not worry. We are all with the farmers,” he said.
The Maharashtra government has approved an advance payment of ₹5,000 to eligible farmers in drought-affected areas to provide immediate relief while crop-loss assessments and other formalities are completed. The Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme provides eligible farmer families with annual financial assistance of ₹6,000, transferred directly to their bank accounts in three instalments.
Modi also urged citizens to stand by farmers during the festival period, calling for support from people across the country.
Pune’s Pink Line opens for passengers on November 4
The Prime Minister inaugurated the elevated Metro Line 3, also known as the Pink Line, connecting the Hinjewadi IT hub with Shivajinagar. The 23.2-km corridor will begin passenger operations at 6am on November 4.
Built at an estimated cost of ₹8,313 crore, the project is the country’s first Metro corridor to be implemented under the design, build, finance, operate and transfer framework through a public-private partnership model, in accordance with the National Metro Rail Policy, 2017.
The line has 23 stations and is expected to improve connectivity between Hinjewadi and central Pune, easing daily travel for thousands of IT employees and other commuters. Services will initially operate at 17 stations, with the remaining stations scheduled to open in phases.
The corridor connects Maan, near Hinjewadi, with the District Court station in Shivajinagar. At the Shivajinagar end, it is linked to the existing Metro network, allowing passengers to interchange with the other lines.
Services are expected to run every six minutes during peak hours and every 12 minutes during other periods. The last train is scheduled to depart Maan at 10.30pm and Shivajinagar at 11.40pm.
A key feature of the project is that the entire corridor will be operated by women train operators. Around 30% of its electricity requirements are also envisaged to be met through solar power.
Four new corridors planned under Phase II
Alongside the inauguration, Modi laid the foundation stone for Pune Metro Phase II, which comprises four proposed corridors, Lines 2A, 2B, 4 and 4A, with an estimated investment of around ₹13,500 crore.
The proposed routes will connect Vanaz with Chandani Chowk, Ramwadi with Vitthalwadi, Kharadi with Khadakwasla, and Nal Stop with Manik Baug.
The expansion is expected to extend Metro connectivity to key residential, commercial and employment centres, including Chandani Chowk, Vitthalwadi, Kharadi, Hadapsar, Magarpatta, Khadakwasla, Warje and Manik Baug.
The four corridors are expected to improve integration with the existing Metro network through interchange facilities. The expanded network is aimed at strengthening public transport in Pune, improving access across the city and offering commuters an alternative to private vehicles.
The inauguration of Line 3 and the foundation stone ceremony for the four Phase II corridors together represent an investment of around ₹21,800 crore in Pune’s Metro network.