Centre allocates Rs.2,468 crore for Pune’s ring road project
Finance minister Arun Jaitley, in his budget speech, announced a provision of Rs.5.35 lakh crore for the Bharatmala project, under which 28 ring roads across the country have been planned.
The Union government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 2,468 crore for Pune’s ring road, under the central government’s Bharatmala project. Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) chief executive officer (CEO) and commissioner Kiran Gitte confirmed the same as the proposed 128-km ring road will be built by the PMRDA.
Finance minister Arun Jaitley, in his budget speech, announced a provision of Rs 5.35 lakh crore for the Bharatmala project, under which 28 ring roads across the country have been planned.
Along with Pune, ring roads have also been planned at Varanasi, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Nagpur, Jalandhar and Amaravati.
The PMRDA will consruct a 128-km ring road around Pune city to ease traffic congestion and allow commuters passing through to avoid having to come into the city.
PMRDA has already floated tenders for the first phase of 33 km between Wagholi and Ambegaon. The cost of the first phase is Rs 330 crore, which is being borne by PMRDA.
An infrastructure committee meeting, chaired by Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, was held recently in New Delhi where the ring road project was discussed .
Gitte, who was at the meeting, said, “NHAI will give funds for this project and PMRDA will execute this project. As NHAI is funding the project, they suggested introducing a toll to recover costs.”
PMRDA has suggested a toll only for commercial vehicles and Gitte has clarified that everything is still at the planning stage and the initial funds are being provided by the PMRDA.