PM to unveil RK Laxman museum, launch Pune Metro on Sunday

Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Pune on Sunday to inaugurate an art gallery-museum dedicated to the legendary cartoonist R.K. Laxman and also inaugurate the new Pune Metro Rail Project as part of his packed schedule, officials said here on Saturday.

He will throw open the completed 12-km stretch of the total 32.20 km long Metro Rail project providing world-class urban mobility infrastructure to Pune, and inaugurate an exhibition at Garware Metro Station.

The Pune Metro Rail - for which Modi laid the foundation stone in December 2016 - is being built at a cost of over Rs 11,400 crore, and he will go on a ride from Garware to Anandnagar stations.

The PM will also unveil a 9.5 feet tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, made of 1,850 kg gun metal, in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) complex.

In the afternoon, Modi will lay the foundation stone of rejuvenation and pollution abatement projects of the Mula-Mutha river on a 9 km stretch slated to cost Rs 1,080 crore.

The works involve river edge protection, interception sewage network, public amenities, boating, etc on the Mula-Mutha river on the concept of 'One City, One Operator' costing Rs 1,470-crore.

Under this, a total of 11 sewage treatment plants shall be built with a capacity of around 400 MLD.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate the 'R.K. Laxman Art Gallery-Museum' at Balewadi, dedicated to the legendary cartoonist who passed away in January 2015.

The museum highlight is a miniature model based on the fictional village of Malgudi which will be made alive through the audio-visual effect. Cartoons with the famed 'You Said It' logo, drawn by Laxman will be showcased here.

Modi will launch the Golden Jubilee celebrations of Symbiosis University and 100 e-buses and an e-bus depot at Baner.