MUMBAI: Following the recent outburst among citizens, particularly IT professionals and the industry sector, over poor infrastructure and facilities in Hinjewadi and Chakan, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday gave in-principle approval to a ₹ 1,826-crore integrated infrastructure development plan for these areas in Pune district.
Manufacturing, automobiles and electric vehicles, engineering goods, defence, robotics and drones, electronics and semiconductors, and biotechnology have been identified as priority sectors. Measures proposed include seven TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water from Mulshi, increased supply from the Bhama basin, water reuse, efficient distribution and desilting of water bodies. The government has also set a target to develop Pune as a growth hub with a $200-billion economy by 2036, which includes plans to expand the Pune metro railway network to 250 km and generate two million jobs in the next 10 years. The economy of the Pune Economic Region is currently 68 billion dollars, according to the presentation. The government, in accordance with the Viksit Bharat 2047 target, has set a goal to develop this to 200 billion to 220 billion dollars by 2036 and 600 billion to 650 billion dollars by 2047. It has a proposed investment of ₹ 9 to 10 lakh crore rupees and envisages the creation of 1.5 to 2 million additional jobs. The government has also set a target of rehabilitating 90% of eligible slum-dwelling families by 2036. The region is estimated to require an additional 200 million litres of water per day.
