Pune: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to virtually inaugurate the 3.5 km underground metro stretch from Civil Court to Swargate on Sunday. This new route includes three metro stations - Kasba Peth, Mandai, and Swargate - which will help ease traffic congestion in central Pune, alleviate road pressure in various areas, and enhance connectivity between Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. Maha Metro officials, along with Pune's MP and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, have confirmed the PM's virtual inauguration on Sunday. In addition to this, the PM will also lay the foundation for the underground metro stretch from Swargate to Katraj and inaugurate the Solapur airport.

Regarding the earlier scheduled inauguration on Thursday which was postponed due to heavy rain alerts, the PM was expected to travel on the metro between Civil Court and Swargate. The metro services on this stretch were put on hold until a new opening date is announced. The BJP city unit president mentioned that efforts are being made to open the stretch to commuters at the earliest, either through a virtual inauguration by the PM or by rescheduling his visit. Executive director of Maha Metro, Hemant Sonawane, mentioned that the cancellation on Thursday was due to weather alerts and further instructions from the state and central governments are awaited for Sunday's opening. Commuters who were expecting to use the Metro on Thursday expressed disappointment, emphasizing the importance of making the operational stretch available to the public promptly while holding the inauguration event separately.The VIPs are present. Ashish Deshpande, a regular metro user, expressed his disagreement with the delay in opening the metro, stating that it is meant for commuters. He mentioned that there is no need to wait for VIPs to inaugurate it since they can do so later. Many commuters eager to use the metro are disappointed and urge the authorities to start the service promptly. Another resident, Virdas Khude from Shivajinagar, mentioned that the metro line to Swargate was expected to be operational during Ganeshotsav. He expressed uncertainty about how much longer commuters will have to wait for the launch of this stretch.

Leaders from the MVA, such as the Congress and NCP (SCP), argued that the insistence of the BJP on having the PM inaugurate the services was unnecessary. They warned that if metro officials do not take action, members would open the Civil Court to Swargate route on Friday. Prashant Jagtap, the city unit president of NCP (SCP), emphasized that it was not benefiting the people of Pune to keep the Civil Court to Swargate stretch non-operational due to the cancellation of the Prime Minister's visit. He announced that MVA supporters would gather at the Civil Court metro station on Friday and officially open the stretch for the convenience of the public. Congress MLA Ravindra Dhangekar criticized the BJP's motive of having the PM visit Pune ahead of the assembly election, stating that the government could have opened the stretch without this event. He demanded that the metro stretch be opened promptly for the citizens.

Commuters stress the necessity of having a graphic facility. The Civil Court to Swargate stretch spans 3.5km underground with three unopened stations at Kasba Peth, Mandai, and Swargate. Maha Metro has provided one entry-exit point in each of these stations for commuters, and the operation of the trains was scheduled to commence at 8.30pm on Thursday. Due to heavy rain, there was consideration given to holding the inauguration at Ganesh Kala Krida Manch, an enclosed hall near Swargate on Thursday morning, but this idea was later dismissed following the cancellation of the PM's visit.Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders have stated that despite the completion of work on the route a month ago, assets worth billions of rupees remain unused due to the Prime Minister's unavailability. The project, funded by Pune residents and taxpayers to alleviate traffic congestion, needs urgent attention. The popularity of the Metro has increased with the opening of more stations, and mass transport projects should be prioritized to prevent further delays. Significant funds have already been invested in the Metro's construction, and the infrastructure must be put to use promptly. Residents like Anant Naik from Kothrud and college student Saili Ghodke emphasize that inaugurations should not wait for VIPs, especially for infrastructure projects that benefit a large population. While there is no objection to inauguration events, they should serve the citizens' best interests.