Union minister Murlidhar Mohol interview: ‘Last-mile connectivity, awareness, expansion key to boost Pune Metro ridership’

Murlidhar Mohol: It is of superior interest arsenic I americium besides an elected typical of the city. Here, urbanisation happened rapidly implicit a tiny period. Pune is larger than Mumbai. The colonisation of the metropolis and metropolitan country has besides accrued rapidly. Basic infrastructure had to beryllium developed accordingly and it should person been planned 25 years ago, but unluckily those successful powerfulness past failed to bash so. We are reasoning of 50 years down the enactment and started the metro rail, accrued the nationalist transport autobus fleet. The Metro web volition beryllium accrued and 1,000 much nationalist transport buses volition beryllium added successful service.

Anuradha Mascarenhas: What is the presumption of the merger of Pune and Khadki cantonment boards with the Pune Municipal Corporation. Is determination a timeline?

Murlidhar Mohol: Merger of the cantonment boards with the civic corp is indispensable and we person already decided to spell up with it. As promised successful the predetermination manifesto, we person initiated respective procedures and present the contented is astatine the authorities authorities level. However, I cannot springiness a circumstantial timeline.

Anuradha Mascarenhas: While reacting to MP Rahul Gandhi’s connection connected “fighting the Indian state”, you referred to the Congress enactment arsenic “anti-national”. Please comment.

Murlidhar Mohol: Whenever Rahul Gandhi travels to different countries, it is noted that helium is ever criticising and defaming our nation. On 1 hand, Rahul stages protests and makes demands astir protecting the Constitution of India. On the different hand, erstwhile helium visits different countries helium does a volte-face and says determination is nary request for reservation. He keeps changing his stance and insults the Constitution and the country. It is simply a substance of probe wherefore Rahul Gandhi becomes a ‘desh virodhi’ erstwhile helium is successful different countries.

Chandan Haygunde: In October 2024, flights crossed India received hundreds of weaponry threats via anonymous societal media accounts, disrupting operations including successful Pune. How was it tackled?

Murlidhar Mohol: These were hoax messages and the Civil Aviation Department worked with agencies similar the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to curb the menace. Essential steps were taken owed to which hoax weaponry messages person stopped now.

Soham Shah: You talked astir the Metro, truthful did the CM and the PM erstwhile they visited earlier the Maharashtra polls. But if you spell to the Metro close now, it volition beryllium mostly empty. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) successful 2021 projected a regular ridership of 6 lakh. Even accounting for the operation delay, successful 2025 we person a ridership of conscionable 1.5 lakh. This is conscionable 25 per cent.

Murlidhar Mohol: I don’t deliberation so. I volition inquire for the accusation but I consciousness the usage of the Metro is great, galore radical are travelling. And the way volition beryllium expanded truthful the ridership volition increase.

Soham Shah: But a ridership of 6 lakh was predicted for the routes that are presently operational.

Murlidhar Mohol: Forty lakh radical person travelled successful the full month. This is not a tiny number. We person to absorption connected last-mile connectivity.

Soham Shah: Public transport experts accidental we request to probe wherefore ridership is not determination earlier expanding the lines.

Murlidhar Mohol: The ridership should person been 6 lakh but we person not achieved it. We person to determination guardant astatine least. This responsibility is not conscionable of the system. Six lakh should person happened and it has not. This is not conscionable the responsibility of the Metro oregon the radical who built it. At the extremity of the day, we (the public) should besides consciousness that we privation to question by the Metro. It is existent that last-mile connectivity should improve, but if it is disposable and 1 inactive doesn’t usage the Metro past that should beryllium thought about. So consciousness is besides important.

Soham Shah: The Union Ministry of Urban Development had suggested BRTS oregon airy obstruction alternatively of Metro arsenic the route’s Peak Hour Peak Direction Traffic (PHPDT) is little than 30,000. It is going to beryllium hard to conscionable DPR numbers adjacent if we physique galore much lines.

Murlidhar Mohol: No, however tin that be? I consciousness determination are galore things to see successful this. If we summation the lines past ridership volition increase. More and much radical volition go alert and they won’t person to instrumentality retired their backstage vehicles. If radical don’t usage their backstage vehicles lone past the ridership volition increase. We are gathering the Metro adjacent for radical from the outskirts, from Khadakwasla to Hadapsar. That is simply a large way and the radical won’t bring their cars into the city. This volition effect successful accrued ridership. From this discussion, I person realised that we request to bash a batch to summation ridership.

Ajay Jadhav: Who is going to make the Purandar airport? The Airports Authority of India, Maharashtra Airport Development Co Ltd oregon backstage firms? Is determination a connection from a backstage firm?

Murlidhar Mohol: Now the absorption is connected acquiring onshore for the airdrome which has to beryllium done by the authorities government. After that, a determination volition beryllium taken connected who volition make it. There are nary proposals from backstage firms arsenic of present but if it comes, it volition beryllium successful information arsenic the task requires immense funds. The authorities authorities does not person funds for the purpose. The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) has funds truthful they person been asked to get onshore but improvement decisions volition beryllium taken aboriginal on.

Sunanda Mehta: We person written astir the Gliding Centre being handed implicit to the AAI…

Murlidhar Mohol: I consciousness a clarification is needed. It is being said that the Gliding Centre volition beryllium privatised. This is not true. The determination is being transferred to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) nether the government. This is not a backstage institution and determination is nary privatisation. Whatever the aviation ministry wants volition hap there.

We should each clarify that determination is nary backstage institution oregon privatisation. The AAI volition bash what is indispensable for the civilian aviation sector. The spot is astir 200-250 acres and it should beryllium utilised. It should beryllium utilized for the civilian aviation sector.

Ajay Jadhav: Do you person immoderate circumstantial plans for improvement astatine the Gliding Centre land?

Murlidhar Mohol: The onshore parcel is excessively large and needs to beryllium efficaciously utilised. It volition beryllium transferred to the AAI which is nether the Union authorities truthful it volition instrumentality a telephone connected however to usage it for the civilian aviation sector. I arsenic a metropolis MP volition propulsion for thing to beryllium developed for the aviation field.

Ajay Jadhav: The Pune civic assemblage is already struggling to conscionable citizens’ needs. The metropolis is present increasing vertically which volition further strain civic infrastructure. Isn’t it clip to bounds urbanisation here?

Murlidhar Mohol: There is nary different alternate arsenic we cannot halt the nationalist from coming to the city. The absorption should beryllium to fulfill the demands of the population. It is simply a situation and we person to instrumentality it up.

Parthasarathi Biswas: With the Navi Mumbai airdrome being operational, however acceptable are airlines to determination there?

Murlidhar Mohol: Airlines are acceptable to displacement their operations to the Navi Mumbai airport. News astir their reluctance is not true. Domestic operations volition commencement from March this twelvemonth and planetary operations post-April 2025. At present, this is the largest airdrome and it volition assistance successful expanding aerial connectivity.

Parthasarathi Biswas: Tell america astir the destiny of Purandar airport. We recognize that the onshore acquisition is to commencement soon.

Murlidhar Mohol: Pune International Airport volition travel up successful Purandar and that is final. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had finalised this spot during his erstwhile tenure. However, erstwhile the authorities changed successful 2019, the spot was moved and frankincense nary enactment could happen. As soon arsenic Devendraji came backmost to power, helium was wide that the airdrome would travel up successful the aforesaid place. Now the MIDC has been instructed to commencement onshore acquisition. The airdrome volition beryllium operational by 2029.

Sunanda Mehta: When bash you deliberation the municipal elections volition instrumentality spot and what has the metropolis mislaid retired connected by not having a politician oregon an elected assemblage for astir 3 years now?

Murlidhar Mohol: The metropolis has mislaid having their typical – a municipal corporator. It is not bully that elections person not happened successful the past 3 years. Due to the process getting extended successful court, clip has been lost. But astir January 22 determination is simply a proceeding and if determination is simply a affirmative judgment, I consciousness the elections mightiness beryllium held successful April. But if not, past decidedly by Diwali the elections volition instrumentality place.

There were decidedly losses due to the fact that of this. People spell to the ward bureau oregon the corporation…whom to conscionable for which enactment is not clear. If a corporator is determination they person their office, their karyakartas. Through their transmission they assistance the people, that is what the corporator is for. The spread of 3 years besides had a antagonistic effect connected the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections. But we are of the presumption that elections should hap arsenic soon arsenic possible, but it depends connected the court’s decision.

Sunanda Mehta: Will the Mahayuti combat these elections unneurotic oregon volition the BJP spell solo?

Murlidhar Mohol: Right now, we are unneurotic and volition combat together. This is the presumption arsenic of now.

Soham Shah: Minister Nitish Rane has said that Kerala is simply a mini-Pakistan. What is your presumption connected specified statements successful Maharashtra politics?

Murlidhar Mohol: I consciousness astatine the extremity of the time we are successful authorities and are representatives of the people. While speaking we should deliberation astir everything. Why helium said it tin lone beryllium answered by him.

Soham Shah: He said terrorists ballot for the Gandhis (Rahul and Priyanka) successful Kerala which is wherefore they get elected. That logic would marque radical successful Rae Bareli terrorists arsenic well?

Murlidhar Mohol: Instead of focusing connected what Rane said today, we should absorption connected those who did the authorities of caste and religion. Those who person utilized Muslims, Christians and minorities arsenic ballot banks. That is precise important and nary 1 talks astir it, but they person been utilized arsenic ballot banks. And if determination is thing existent past Rane says it, parkatpane mhantat te.

Pavan Khengre: How is the acquisition of moving with Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi?

Murlidhar Mohol: I person ever been a karyakarta who watches large politicians from afar. Just to bash namaskar from afar if our eyes meet. Today it is my luck that I beryllium beside them and enactment for the country. BJP is the enactment wherever communal karyakartas tin scope this level. I utilized to enactment astatine the ward level, past astatine the Vidhan Sabha level, and authorities level. The enactment I did successful the organisation has led maine here.

I don’t conscionable Modiji regularly but each 7-8 days astatine immoderate lawsuit oregon the other. He has truthful overmuch vigor and works truthful much. Never tires. For idiosyncratic similar maine what tin beryllium a amended ideal?

Amit Shah’s moving benignant is wholly different. He makes specified decisions successful 1 2nd that it affects the full country. Be it successful the Cooperation Ministry oregon the Home Ministry. To enactment with specified radical determination is simply a affirmative unit and you get to larn a lot.

Sunanda Mehta: As a first-time MP, did you expect to beryllium made a minister?

Murlidhar Mohol: Not astatine all. I was conscionable moving towards being the Pune MP and was blessed with that. I was accelerated dormant erstwhile I got the telephone to spell to Delhi the adjacent day.