Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil on Thursday discussed the proposal for two municipalities in Pune city, stating that the final decision on this matter will ultimately be taken by the Chief Minister.

"We have requested a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde on January 15 regarding Pune's issues. After the inclusion of 34 villages, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has become the largest municipal corporation in Asia in terms of geographical area. Therefore, it is difficult to manage administratively. So, two municipal corporations should be formed, and we will present this proposal," Patil said.

He also discussed the functioning of the Pune Metro, saying, "The metro is running very well in Pune, and on average, two and a half lakh people travel by metro every day. Since its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 6, 2022, the metro service has been running uninterruptedly. Due to this, lakhs of people have been able to travel safely and on time. The state government will provide appropriate assistance for the next phase of the metro work, and we will follow up with the central government regarding the pending routes."

When asked about the Purandar Airport, Patil said, "All the permissions for the Purandar Airport have been obtained, and the land acquisition process needs to be accelerated. This will take two to three years."

Regarding the post of Guardian Minister of Pune, Patil stated, "The Chief Minister of the state decides on this issue. This decision will be made jointly with his colleagues Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar."