BJP manifesto for PMC polls promises discounts on city buses, Metro for women, tax relief for small residential properties

The manifesto was unveiled by Union minister and city MP Murlidhar Mohol and minister Chandrakant Patil

Continuing with the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance’s practice of declaring sops for women in Maharashtra, the Pune city unit of the party, which published its manifesto for the civic polls on Wednesday, promised concession in fares for women in metro rail and city bus services, besides exemption in taxes for all residential properties in the city measuring under 500 sq ft.

The manifesto was unveiled by Union minister and city MP Murlidhar Mohol and minister Chandrakant Patil, along with minister Madhuri Misal, and legislators Hemant Rasane and Bhimrao Tapkir. Voting in 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), is scheduled to be held on January 15. The results will be declared the following day.

The BJP was in power in the PMC during the last five-year term, from 2017 to 2022, with around 100 corporators. It is now contesting in all 165 seats of the civic body. This includes two of its candidates against whom no one is contesting as all their rivals have withdrawn from the fray.

The Mahayuti government in the state had earlier declared 50 per cent concession for women in all government-run buses. It had also declared Rs 2,500 per month for poor women under the Ladki Bahin Yojana.

Mohol said that once the BJP comes to power in the PMC, will give discounts on tickets for women travelling by metro rail and the civic body-run bus service under the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML). “Besides, citizens above 75 years will not be charged any fare for travelling in PMPML buses,” he said.

The Union minister added that the BJP will also give complete exemption in taxes for residential properties in the city with an area under 500 sq ft that are owned by economically weaker sections. “The existing discount of 40 per cent in property tax for residential properties in the city will continue for the next five years,” he said.

The construction of the Pune metro from Khadakwasla to Kharadi will be extended till the Pune airport in Lohegaon, and last-mile connectivity will be developed using other modes of public transport, Mohol said, adding that 120 km of new routes will be developed in the next five years.

The BJP plans to resolve Pune’s traffic issues by improving existing roads and constructing a 54-km network of underground roads across the city through its Patal Lok initiative, he said.

“The mega infrastructure projects of metro rail, road development, and sewage treatment require huge funding which will be taken up with the help of the state and Union government,” he added.

On the BJP’s earlier agenda to develop Pune as a ‘smart city’, Mohol said that projects under the smart city initiative have been developed in part of the city as planned.

The BJP has also declared a separate Green City Vision for Pune to tackle the rising air and water pollution by strictly implementing mitigation measures and focusing on conservation, including the green cover on hills and the riverside.

-Plan for capital investment of Rs 44,000 crore for basic amenities