Agitation Planned Against Proposed Diversion of Pune-Nashik Rail Line via Ahilyanagar on August 9
Pune, 7th August 2026: The Pune-Nashik Railway Action Committee has announced a road blockade (rasta roko) protest at 9 am on Sunday (August 9), coinciding with Kranti Din, to press for the long-pending demand for the proposed Pune-Manchar-Nashik railway line.
The decision was taken at a meeting held on Thursday at Tapneshwar Temple in Manchar, Ambegaon taluka, to plan the agitation. Participants expressed strong resentment over reports that the proposed Pune-Nashik railway alignment may be routed via Ahilyanagar instead of the long-demanded Pune-Manchar-Sangamner-Sinnar corridor.
The committee alleged that despite persistent public demand for the Pune-Manchar-Sangamner-Sinnar route, the proposal has been consistently ignored. Members warned that diverting the alignment through Ahilyanagar would deprive several regions of the rail connectivity they have sought for decades.
The meeting resolved to organise simultaneous road blockade protests across Khed, Ambegaon, Junnar, Sangamner and Sinnar talukas on Sunday under the guidance of MLA Satyajeet Tambe and Pune-Nashik Railway Action Committee vice-president Rajendra Chaudhary and working president Santosh Phaphale. The protesters said the coordinated agitation aims to draw the Central government’s attention to their demand.
Among those present at the meeting were Ambegaon taluka Railway Action Committee president and convenor Babaji Chaskar, former Ambegaon Agricultural Produce Market Committee chairman Devdatta Nikam, Ambegaon Congress president Ashokrao Kale, former Panchayat Samiti member Rajaram Bankhele, Yuva Sena executive member Sachin Bangar, corporators Vasantrao Bankhele and Ajit Chavan, Vishal Wabale, advocate Raju Bende Patil, Balasaheb Indore, Sudam Padwal and several other local leaders.
“Ambegaon is the taluka of freedom fighter Babu Genu, who sacrificed his life for the country’s independence. The Pune-Manchar-Nashik railway line is the backbone of this region’s development. Respecting public sentiment, the Central government should immediately approve this alignment. We will hold a peaceful, democratic protest at Manchar with broad public participation, and we appeal to citizens to join the agitation in large numbers,” said Babaji Chaskar, convenor of the Railway Action Committee in Ambegaon.
