Kalmadi's Pune Manifesto

The election manifesto of sitting Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi promises to make Pune a global city, with emphasis on development and employment. Kalmadi has also promised to start work on a 1,000 MW gas-based power plant exclusively for Pune. Speaking to mediapersons before the official release of the manifesto by NCP president Sharad Pawar at an election rally, Kalmadi dwelt on civic issues such as slum rehabilitation and development, improving public transport and the Bus Rapid Transit System, making the city more green and environment friendly, and developing Pune airport into an international terminal. Besides slum rehabilitation and improvement, Kalmadi said that his major thrust would be on housing for the middle class and sections of the low-income group. Observing that public transport is one of his prime concerns, Kalmadi said that the metro rail project should happen in five years. The BOT (build-operate-transfer) model finalised by Bangalore and Hyderabad would be useful for Pune, he said. Replying to a question on the feasibility of the project, considering the proposed routes along dense locations, Kalmadi admitted that initially there would be problems for such a major project. He said that the pilot BRTS was well-planned, but there were some shortcomings which would be done away with. “If the BRTS had not been implemented, the Rs 110 crore for it would have lapsed,” he said. “Problems arose because it was the first such project to be implemented in the country. We are moving towards making a good BRTS in the city,” he said. Kalmadi said that he would insist on approval and implementation of the Green Development Plan submitted to the state government. “The city will soon be acknowledged as a garden city as it will have one hundred gardens. Similarly, tree plantations on defence land is to be undertaken on a large scale,” he said. On the power front, Kalmadi said that a 1,000-MW CNGbased power plant is envisaged for Pune. The gas supply will be from the proposed Kakinada Uran gas pipeline and will go via Shirur, he said. He reiterated that India will be bidding for the Olympics to be held in 2020. If India wins the bid, the two cities that will benefit in terms of development of infrastructure are Delhi and Pune, he said. The runway at Lohegaon airport is proposed to be expanded. The airport will have more international flights and better facilities, he added.