Following strong opposition to the metro project in the city, many leaders of political parties’ including-BJP and Congress had given a green signal for the project, and now the State Finance Minister Sunil Tatkare has come forward to support the metro project. He was in the city addressing the media conference on the ‘Maharashtra State Public Prosecutors’ Association’s (MSPPA). While talking there, he said,

This has given rise to issues like traffic and transportation problems for lakhs of people everyday. There is a need for projects like Metro to be undertaken for the development of the cities.

On talking about the city’s transportation and development projects, he said,

Pune should have a Metro. If people are talking about the high cost of implementing it now, the cost would grow to prohibitive levels in the next 20-25 years. Cost should not be a reason for not taking up a development project. And the most important thing we should be aware of is that the City is badly in need of good transport facilities, otherwise, it will face immense of problems in the near future.

The government has already promised to fund of about 1,200 crore for this project and the remaining cost will be allocated from the central government.

When asked about the irregularity of the funds given to Pune Municipal Corporation and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, Tatkare said,

I don’t have any idea regarding this, but I will look into this matter as soon as possible and try to sort it out at the earliest

He also said that the funds, which are given to these corporations, should be given regularly as they have shown the satisfactory development in the areas undertaken by JNNURM.

Talking of the pay scale issue, Tatkare said,

the demand made by prosecutors is still on paper, once I get the proposal I will approve it. The demands of the assistant public prosecutors have to be considered as they provide an important service to society. It is the assistant public prosecutors who present the case before the trial court and give legal guidance to the poor.