Union Budget 2025: Punekars Seek Additional Funds For City’s Infrastructure Development

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to present the Budget for FY 2025-26 in the Lok Sabha at 11am tomorrow. Ahead of the announcement, The Free Press Journal reached out to Punekars to gauge their expectations. A common demand emerged: increased funding for the city's infrastructure development to address its pressing needs and future growth.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson and Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) Maharashtra vice-president, Kunal Tilak, said, "First and foremost, there is a pressing need for well-maintained roads, free of potholes, to ensure smooth and safe commuting. A comprehensive approach to garbage and waste management is also crucial to keep the city clean and promote public health." "The provision of a reliable 24x7 water supply for every household remains a top priority. Furthermore, with the city's notorious traffic congestion, there is a demand for improved traffic management systems to alleviate daily commuting challenges. Lands reserved for public parking spaces should be given top priority, and multilevel parking spaces should be constructed on them," he added. Tilak also demanded that the area between Shaniwar Wada and Mandai should be classified as a 'Heritage City', and separate funds should be allocated for restoration projects, public works and congestion management.

Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Yugendra Pawar said the youth of this country want a better indirect tax system (GST) where essentials should not be taxed as much. "Consumerism should be allowed to grow in order to enhance the economy, and we would also like to see a lower income tax bracket for working professionals in Pune and around the country," he added.

Senior Congress leader Mohan Joshi said he was expecting the FM to provide funds to help improve Pune's public transport system. "The public transport system is in a pathetic state in the city. We need at least 1,000 more Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) buses so that people stop using private vehicles to commute. I am not expecting much from this budget, but this is the bare minimum they can do for Pune," he added.

Bombay High Court Advocate Satya Muley said that with the same ruling party at the Centre and the state, it was expected that Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad receive massive allocation of funds for infrastructure. "Both these cities have become infamous for horrendous traffic jams due to pathetic infrastructure. Pune also needs a better airport and better connectivity to the rest of the nation to stimulate further economic growth in western Maharashtra. Funds must be allocated to develop and maintain natural resources like water and groundwater reserves, which are essential to support rapid urbanisation and sustainable development," he added.

Renu Naidu, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Chairperson of the Equal Opportunity Cell at Shankarrao Chavan Law College in Pune, said the focus must be on creating pedestrian-friendly spaces and introducing incentives for eco-friendly and sustainable infrastructure projects. "There should be an expansion of employment opportunities in various industries to support economic growth and workforce development. Policies should be aimed at improving working conditions, job security and incentives for businesses to generate more employment opportunities," she added.

Activist Vivek Velankar said additional funds need to be allocated for the expansion of the Pune Metro, construction of the Pune-Nashik Railway and Purandar Airport. "As Pune is said to be the Oxford of the East, the FM should announce to start at least one national-level institution like IIT or IIM here," added cybersecurity expert Sandeep Godbole.

Meera Patil, a resident of Pimpri, said primary education should be the focus as many schools are suffering from the lack of basic facilities like clean drinking water, proper classrooms and inadequate teacher training programmes. Suresh Pawar, a farmer from Mulshi, emphasised that the Centre must bring the rising prices of fertilisers under control.