We must plan for the future, says PM Modi after laying foundation of Pune Metro Rail Project

We must plan for the future and everything cannot be seen from a political point of view, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi today while laying  the foundation stone of Pune Metro Project (Phase-1). He added that we must plan adequately for growth of our cities.
 Addressing a large gathering at the New Agriculture Ground in Pune, the Prime Minister said India is urbanizing at a very quick pace and therefore, it is essential to work in two directions by simultaneously improving quality of life in villages and  thinking about mitigating the challenges of our urban areas with a long term vision and plan.
Also present on the occasion were  Governor of Maharashtra  Chennamaneni Vidyasagar Rao, Chief Minister of Maharashtra  Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister for Urban Development M Venkaiah Naidu, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, Senior Ministers of Government of Maharashtra , Members of Parliament and other senior leaders.
The Prime Minister said that the central government is actively working on the Rurban Mission, which caters to those places that are growing and urbanising quickly. The Prime Minister said that the gains of the present are vital but we need systems that cater to the needs and aspirations of the future too. He said that it is the Government’s endeavor  that whatever projects are taken up are completed within the scheduled timeframe.The Prime Minister said that the Government is working on gas grids, water grids, digital network, leveraging space technology, and using technology to help farmers.
He stated that in this nation everybody is equal before the law and everyone has to follow the law. He added that if the evils of corruption and black money were removed earlier, he would not have had to take the decisions that he took.
Noting that Pune is a city of learning, he exhorted the city to take the lead in embracing online banking and exploring the facilities available. In this nation, the voice of 125 crore Indians will be heard; this voice cannot be subverted by a select few, the Prime Minister said.
The project, being executed by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is being set up at a cost of Rs. 11,420 crore under the aegis of Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MAHA-METRO). In the first phase, two corridors of the Pune Metro Rail Project would be taken up for development, covering a length of 31.254 km. The  two corridors are from Pimpri-Chinchwad to Swargate covering a length of 16.589 km (11.57 km elevated and 5.019 km underground) and Vanaz to Ramwadi covering 14.665 km (fully elevated). This is the third metro rail project in Maharashtra. 
Proposed project will go a long way in the sustainable development of the rapidly growing city. Stations have been located so as to serve major passenger destinations and to enable convenient integration with other modes of transport. The Pune metro rail alignments are expected to provide much needed connectivity to commuters and will traverse through some of the densest and traffic congested routes in the Pune metropolitan area. The population of 50 lakh of Pune Metropolitan Area is expected to be benefited by this metro corridor.