Metro Line 3 launch awaits date from CMO three weeks after safety clearance

Pune: The inauguration of the first phase of Pune Metro Line 3 — Maan to R K Laxman Museum (Balewadi) — is waiting for the CMO’s decision on the chief guest and the date, almost three weeks after it is ready for operations.Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) officials said they had sent a letter regarding the inauguration of the Metro stretch to the chief minister’s office (CMO), but had not received any reply yet. “We are awaiting confirmation from them,’’ said a senior official of PMRDA.The Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) granted provisional authorisation to the 13km stretch, comprising 12 stations, on July 23. Citizens’ groups and IT professionals have urged the government not to delay operations merely over finalising the inauguration date and the chief guest.A citizen activist said the wait was longer than that for other Metro stretches. “The District Court-Swargate section opened five days after the CMRS approval, while the Ruby Hall Clinic-Ramwadi section began operations 15 days after the safety nod,” the activist said.IT professional Anita D said commuters were exasperated by repeated changes in the expected opening date of the Metro stretch. “Even after the safety clearance, we are waiting for an appropriate guest to inaugurate a partial stretch of the Metro project. The state govt should open it without any fanfare,” she said.The CMRS inspected the Metro section from July 5 to 8. The provisional authorisation came after the project agency submitted compliance reports on the observations.The 23.3km Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro project is being implemented by PMRDA through Pune IT City Metro Rail Limited. It is India’s first Metro project under the public-private partnership model, being developed by a Tata Group-Siemens joint venture. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid its foundation stone on Dec 8, 2018.The project faced repeated delays. Its latest completion deadline has been extended to March 31, 2027. The remaining 11 stations are expected to open in phases.The authorities had targeted a June-end deadline for the first phase of the project, but the CMRS clearance came in July. Technical issues at Baner and Shivajinagar stations also contributed to the delay of the remaining stretch.