Shivajinagar-Hinjawadi Pune Metro Delay Draws Criticism for Union Minister Muralidhar Mohol

Pune, 24th October 2025: The Shivajinagar to Hinjawadi Metro line, Pune’s third metro corridor, has yet to open for passengers, prompting criticism of Union Minister of State Muralidhar Mohol, who had promised last year that the line would be operational by Diwali 2025. Social media users have expressed their disappointment, recalling Mohol’s earlier announcements.

The 23-kilometer metro line, which includes 23 stations, connects Hinjawadi IT Park to central Pune and is being implemented by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) under a public-private partnership. In 2024, Mohol had posted on social media that the project would be completed by March 2025, with passenger services beginning by Diwali.

Officials said the metro work is in its final stages, including route alignment and technical checks. The process of obtaining safety and technical clearances is ongoing, and no official inauguration date has been announced.

Meanwhile, the public response has been critical. Social media users highlighted the delay with comments such as, “Diwali has arrived but the metro has not!” and, “Shivajinagar to Hinjawadi journey is still on PMPML buses!” These reactions reflect public frustration over delays and project management.

The metro is expected to significantly reduce travel time for lakhs of daily commuters in the Hinjawadi IT Park area. Currently, journeys from Shivajinagar to Hinjawadi take one to one-and-a-half hours by road, whereas the metro is projected to complete the trip in 20-25 minutes.
Despite the metro line being nearly complete, repeated delays and unmet promises have raised questions about political accountability.