Pune Prepares For Grand Celebration Of Ganapati Festival With 24-Hour Access

Pune, 21st July 2025: The Maharashtra state government has officially declared Ganeshotsav a State Festival during the recent monsoon assembly session, paving the way for an unprecedented scale of celebration this year. Detailed plans have been announced, with a focus on making the festivities grand, inclusive, and accessible around the clock.

Pune MLA Hemant Rasane stated that efforts are underway to ensure that Ganeshotsav in Pune remains open 24 hours for devotees. He emphasized the importance of celebrating the festival while honoring religious and cultural traditions. To support this, the city will aim to provide 24-hour services including food establishments, Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) buses, and metro rail. Additional police deployment is also being planned to ensure a restriction-free and safe environment.

“The goal is to make the Ganesh festival free from restrictions and fear,” Rasane said, underlining the government’s support through various programs and substantial funding, which will contribute to the grandeur of the celebration.

In addition to festival preparations, major infrastructure proposals are in motion to improve urban mobility. Rasane announced a proposed underground road linking Shaniwarwada to Swargate and Sarasbaug to Shaniwarwada, aimed at easing traffic congestion in the city. He noted that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this project is in its final stages and expected to be completed within a month, after which further steps will follow.

Rasane also brought attention to local issues during the Assembly session, particularly traffic bottlenecks in his Kasba constituency and surrounding areas.

Separately, the city is also set to see progress in cultural development. A meeting was held in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar to accelerate the long-pending expansion of the historic Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum. The expansion is expected to preserve and promote the cultural legacy of the city.

Addressing education-related concerns, Rasane highlighted the challenges faced by civil service aspirants in his constituency. Many candidates, he said, are affected by the delayed declaration of examination results conducted by various recruitment commissions. Raising the issue in the Assembly, he drew particular attention to the long-pending results of the Group-C Clerk and Typist examinations, which have finally been announced after several months of delay.