I&B Ministry switches off Marathi news in Pune

The AIR Pune has its first broadcast of the day at 7.10 am. The 10-minute broadcast is the only major one for the day. News in this segment mainly pertains to what is happening in Maharashtra as well as crucial happenings in other parts of the country.

Besides the 7.10 broadcast, there are five more bulletins of two minutes each on any given day. AIR officials said, before the advent of 24X7 television news, AIR’s Marathi news was the most popular news segment across the state. “Even today, it has mass following, especially in rural areas,” an official said.

Besides the Pune unit, there are three other RNU units in the state—one in Mumbai, one in Nagpur, and one in Auranga-bad—from where the Marathi news is likely to be broadcast now onward.

Ravindra Khasnis, station director, AIR Pune, told The Indian Express that they will have a problem producing the news since the two key team members have been shifted. “We are awaiting for further directives from the ministry,” he said.

The Shiv Sena, meanwhile, strongly opposed the bid to close down the Marathi news section in Pune. “We will take up the issue in the Rajya Sabha as also with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry,” Sena spokesperson Neelam Gorhe said. Gorhe said they have spoken to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who has promised to look into the matter.

The Pune Congress unit, meanwhile, submitted a memorandum to AIR Pune, demanding that the Ministry immediately take back the decision. “We will agitate if the decision is not taken back by the government,” said Pune Congress chief Ramesh Bagwe.