With 7 MPs From Pune District In Parliament, Citizens Demand Sustainable Development @ Free Press Journal

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's wife, Sunetra Pawar, who contested and lost to her sister-in-law Supriya Sule in the recent Lok Sabha elections from the Baramati constituency, is now set to be elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha. This development will increase Pune district's representation in Parliament, bringing the total number of MPs to seven. Currently, Pune is represented by six MPs: Murlidhar Mohol (Pune City), Amol Kolhe (Shirur), Supriya Sule (Baramati), and Shrirang Barne (Maval) in Lok Sabha, while Sharad Pawar and Medha Kulkarni are Rajya Sabha members. Meanwhile, residents are now urging for accelerated and sustainable development in the district.

Advocate Satya Muley said, "Pune now has adequate representation in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Better coordination between Maharashtra government and the Centre is expected to solve long-pending and dragging issues such as Pune's Ring Road, speedy completion of metro infrastructure, and construction of Purandar airport." "We expect better initiatives toward climate and environment protection for the region. A national initiative for groundwater recharging and conservation coupled with development of green belts is an urgent need. We also expect that all these MPs keep the party lines aside and work towards the betterment of the region, which must include sustainable development as key focus area."

Sandeep Godbole, a cybersecurity expert, stated that the MPs should focus on co-ordinated efforts for higher budget allocation for the city to promote development activities like increasing length and quality of road networks, widening rail corridors to accommodate more tracks, expanding metro network, obtaining mandate to set up IIT and IIM in Pune region, work on enhanced irrigation and water supply projects that can minimise water loss and increase water storage capacity by improving or building new dams/reserviors.

Ranjeet Rane, a public policy professional, emphasised, that the MPs must have a "Pune First" approach. "They need to keep aside party-level differences and focus on being a single voice representing the city in the highest echelons of decision-making. Policy interventions that further the long-term, holistic and most importantly, sustainable development of the city and its adjoining areas should be the key focus of these MPs. They could also do well to revive the dormant project to make Pune a public policy hub by setting up a NITI Aayog-like think tank here," he added.

Environmentalist Sushma Date highlighted, "As a Punekar, I would like the MPs to think of Pune's development, keeping in mind the concerns of the times we live in, namely climate change, water stress, air and water pollution and extreme climate events like flooding after heavy rains. To this end, I would request them to get the Centre's support and financial aid for improving public transport in the city, quick completion of all the metro lines and strengthening of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML)."

PR professional Rahul B noted the urgent need better urban infrastructure planning. However, he added that they should prioritise sustainable development in the true sense. "Beyond making the city smart, the administration needs to focus on getting some basics right first: clean breathable air, extensive green spaces, a minimal crime rate, having a responsive police force and administration, etc," he said.

Group Captain Nitin Welde (Retd) mentioned four points the MPs need to prioritse — ⁠law and order, traffic challenges, water and sanitation, and airport, while Renu Naidu, Assistant Professor and Chairperson of the Equal Opportunity Cell, Shankarrao Chavan Law College, said they should also implement welfare measures for LGBTQIA+ community members and make an accessible environment for people with different needs.

Satish Gore, an educationist, stated the MPs must also address issues like unemployment, lay-offs, education, health, and farmers discontent, while Gaurav Saha, an IT professional, noted that waste management is an important issue plaguing Pune. "Also, rein in the amount of construction permits issued, make the air more breathable," he added.

Satya Muley
Satya is a leading Civil & Criminal Law lawyer from Western India.
He practices at Bombay High Court, the Supreme Court and Courts in Pune/Maharashtra & New Delhi.
For any queries or support in legal matters you can reach him at or at Contact Us
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