Medicity, leopard safari, heritage walks planned for Pune

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, during his budget speech on Friday, also provided funds for major infrastructure projects such as Pune Metro and Ring Road.

Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray started his speech by announcing a fund of Rs 250 crore for construction of a memorial of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj at his Samadhi in the village of Vadu Budruk in the district.

One of the major announcements for the district was the setting up of Indrayani Medicity over 300 acres of land near Pune. “The government intends to establish a high-tech ‘Indrayani Medicity’ on 300 acres of land near Pune city. This city will have hospitals along with centres for medical research, pharmaceutical manufacturing, wellness and physiotherapy. “It will be the first medical colony in the country to have all the treatments available at one place,” the budget said. Sources said this project can materialise near Chakan in Khed taluka.

Another monument which would see redevelopment would be the Vijaysthambha at Perne phata. The budget said proper premise development work would be undertaken for beautification of the monument. Vijaysthamba is a place of pilgrimage for lakhs of people in the state who commemorate the valour of Dalit soldiers on January 1, which is marked as Shaurya Diwas.

Besides, the state government is planning to popularise the contribution of freedom fighters through heritage walks in the city.

A leopard safari has also been planned over 90 hectares of forest land with a budget of Rs 50 crore. Expansion of the Phulewada in Ganjpeth, the house of Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai, with a budget of Rs 100 crore was also sanctioned in the budget. Besides, funds have been allocated for memorial of Maharani Saibai, the mother of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj at Pal Khurd, Velhe. In addition, development of the Samadhi of Sant Jaganade Maharaj in the village of Sudumbare, Maval, also found mention in the budget.